Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Motorcycles

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the use of electric mopeds and motorbikes by delivery companies in urban areas.

Rachel Maclean: The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) provides grants for plug-in cars, vans, lorries, taxis and motorcycles, as well as funding to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces, on residential streets and across the wider roads network. Through the plug-in motorcycle grant (PIMG), zero emission mopeds and motorcycles are eligible for a grant of 20% up to £1,500. UK delivery companies and their riders are able to take advantage of this grant. Since the scheme launched in 2016, over 2,600 PIMG-eligible motorcycles have been registered in the UK. Last year, the Government announced £582m to support consumer grants, including extending the PIMG to 2022-23.

Railways: Torridge and West Devon

Sir Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to rail services for residents of Torridge and West Devon constituency.

Chris Heaton-Harris: My Department has not undertaken an assessment of the adequacy of access to rail services for residents of Torridge and West Devon. Those residents are likely to benefit from the reintroduction of rail services between Exeter and Okehampton to be funded by the Government as a Restoring Your Railway initiative. I understand the Rt. Hon. Member has sponsored three bids for the third round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund, the outcome of which will be announced in the summer.

Railway Stations: Visual Impairment

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to ensure that there are tactile strips at the edges of all railway station platforms to help people with visual impairments.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Operators involved in the management of stations are responsible for ensuring the safety of all passengers on the premises. The Office of Rail and Roads (ORR) is the safety regulator of Britain’s railway and can take enforcement action if these standards are not met. There are clear safety and accessibility benefits of installing platform edge tactiles. Whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews platform infrastructure they must install appropriate tactile surfaces. Network Rail has also been asked to develop a programme to ensure all platforms have them installed as quickly as possible.

Ferries: Isle of Wight

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect that the Solent Freeport will have on existing (a) road, (b) rail and (c) ports infrastructure.

Robert Courts: I would like to congratulate the Solent Freeport on its successful bid. My Department recognises that appropriate links will be vital to ensure the success of the UK’s newly established Freeports. My Department will consider the implications of the Freeport business cases for our transport networks and future infrastructure investment decisions.

Free Zones: Tees Valley

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the Tees Freeport on existing (a) road, (b) rail and (b) ports infrastructure.

Robert Courts: I would like to congratulate the Tees Freeport on its successful bid. My Department recognises that appropriate links will be vital to ensure the success of the UK’s newly established Freeports. My Department will consider the implications of the Freeport business cases for our transport networks and future infrastructure investment decisions.

Free Zones: Tees Valley

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many merchant ship calls there were at the sea ports comprising the Tees Freeport in (a) 2000, (b) 2010 and (c) 2020.

Robert Courts: Tees and Hartlepool maritime ports had 4,671 and 3,533 merchant ships calls in 2010 and 2019 respectively. My Department does not hold figures dating to 2000, and the 2019 dataset is most current.

Passenger Ships

Ms Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the scope of the Global Travel Taskforce’s 12 April 2021 report on the reopening of international travel is planned to include the cruise sector for national cruises and international cruises.

Robert Courts: The Global Travel Taskforce report will consider a safe and sustainable reopening of international travel. International cruises will be included within the scope of this report. Domestic cruises within England will restart under step three of the Government’s Roadmap out of lockdown. This will align with the opening up of domestic indoor tourism and hospitality and will occur no earlier than 17 May.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans Network Rail has to end weekend engineering works when covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Engineering works are an essential part of running a safe and reliable railway as well as delivering upgrades and improvements for passengers. Works are scheduled to take place when demand is lowest to minimise disruption for passengers; historically this has been at weekends, Bank Holidays and at Easter and Christmas. As we come out of COVID-19 we will work with the rail industry to understand future passenger and freight demand patterns to inform rail network planning, including whether changed demand affects the planning of engineering works.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Coronavirus

Huw Merriman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), whether the DVLA commissioned consultants to draft a report on covid-19 and workplace safety.

Rachel Maclean: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has thoroughly reviewed its processes and systems, with advice from a range of external experts, to understand further opportunities for working remotely. Consultants were commissioned but this review heavily focused on process automation for the longer term, and was not about Covid 19 and workplace safety at the DVLA.The safety of staff is the top priority for the Department for Transport and the DVLA. Extensive safety measures have been put in place across the DVLA’s sites, in accordance with, and sometimes going beyond, all relevant Welsh government advice. These include enhanced cleaning, social distancing and leasing an additional building, which is now in use. The DVLA continues to work closely with the local environmental health team and Public Health Wales.

Railways: Dyslexia

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of train ticket machines for people with severe dyslexia.

Chris Heaton-Harris: It is the responsibility of train operators to procure ticket vending machines (TVMs) in line with relevant legislation. Suppliers of TVMs used on National Rail work with a variety of organisations to ensure these are compliant with the Equality Act. Although my Department has not carried out a specific assessment of TVMs for customers with severe dyslexia we do recognise that TVMs are not always accessible to all. However, improvements have and continue to be made. For example, some machines have been fitted with remote assistance facilities which can host a video call with a remote ticket sales agent who can input all of the customer’s requirements on the screen We are challenging the rail industry to roll out barcode ticketing and improve online purchasing so that people wanting to travel can buy and receive their ticket at their convenience and without needing to visit a TVM.

Railways: Franchises

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the (a) cost, (b) efficacy and (b) value of the (i) Operator of Last Resort and (ii) private sector operators.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Operator of Last Resort (OLR) function exists to discharge the Secretary of State’s Duties under Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993. In deciding whether to transfer an operator to the OLR, the Secretary of State has regard to the Statement of policy on the exercise of the Secretary of State's power under section 26(1) of the Railways Act 1993. If an operator is transferred into the OLR, that operator is managed under contract by the Department for Transport in much the same way as private sector operators are. These contracts deal with issues of cost, efficacy and value on an operator by operator basis.

Railway Stations: Taxis

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the revenue collected by APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd on behalf of Network Rail from the purchase of taxi permits for use at stations across the Network Rail estate in 2020-21.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The income generated from taxi permits at Network Rail managed stations for 20-21 was £16,355.

Network Rail: Industrial Health and Safety

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that Network Rail provides safe lighting around their assets in York.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Network Rail is aware of concerns regarding the level of lighting on the footbridge connecting Love Lane and Barbara Grove across the East Coast Main Line in York. As the bridge is a public right of way, Network Rail is actively working with officials at the City of York Council to agree a solution.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Remote Working

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158241, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Remote Working, without reference to the DVLA’s IT systems, what assessment he has made of what proportion of staff implementation of the Deloitte report’s findings would have enabled to work from home.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158241, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Remote Working, whether any of the Deloitte report’s recommendations on options for DVLA staff to work from home have been implemented.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158241, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Remote Working, whether any of the Deloitte report’s recommendations on options for DVLA staff to work from home have been implemented.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158241, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Remote Working, when the findings of the Deloitte report were presented to (a) the DVLA, (b) Chief Executive Julie Lennard and (c) other parties or bodies.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 158241, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Remote Working, when the findings of the Deloitte report were presented to (a) the DVLA, (b) Chief Executive Julie Lennard and (c) other parties or bodies.

Rachel Maclean: The review was carried out by both internal Driver and Vehicle Licensing (DVLA) and external expertise and focused on what could be done to reduce the backlogs that had built up during the initial lockdown in 2020, not specifically on home working. Some recommendations have been implemented but others require more significant changes that are still being worked through. The review was an iterative process which involved discussions with various personnel across the DVLA and the final report was recently presented to the DVLA’s Board.

Driving Instruction: Coronavirus

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the £300 cost for the Approved Driving Instructor teaching licence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of awarding driving instructors with backdated refunds or discounts for the periods during the covid-19 outbreak in which they were not allowed to practise.

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing driving instructors to apply for an enhanced criminal record check and a standard check test without incurring costs, if they have not renewed their approved driving instructor registration in time due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing driving instructors to apply for an enhanced criminal record check and a standard check test without incurring costs, if they have not renewed their approved driving instructor registration in time due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Rachel Maclean: The 4-year duration of the approved driving instructor (ADI) registration is set out in the Road Traffic Act. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has no powers to extend this period, nor to waive, reduce or refund any part of the £300 fee. There are no plans to make changes to primary legislation.The Road Traffic Act provides that those approved driving instructors (ADI) who allow their registration to lapse have up to a year to apply to re-join the register without having to requalify. ADIs do not pay directly for their standards checks nor their Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, other than the £6 identification verification fee, which is payable to the Post Office. The £300 ADI registration fee covers all the costs of administration of the register, including the arrangement and conduct of standards checks and the DBS cost. The requirement for the fee is specified in the Act. There are no powers to waive the fee and there are no plans to make changes to primary legislation.

Driving Tests: Coronavirus

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising the allocation of driving theory test slots to (a) essential workers and b) people who had those tests cancelled due to the covid-19 lockdown.

Rachel Maclean: Following the Prime Minister's road map announcement, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is now planning to resume its services. In England, it intends to restart theory test services on 12 April 2021. This is providing that the Government’s coronavirus data shows it is safe to move from step 1 of the road map to step 2.Dates for Scotland and Wales remain subject to agreement with the devolved administrations. It would be unfair on other candidates, who have also waited patiently for their theory test, if certain groups are given priority. The DVSA is increasing theory test capacity and will make available between 120,000 -135,000 additional appointments per month.

Railways: Females and Ethnic Groups

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase (a) female and (b) BAME representation in the rail industry.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In 2016, the Government set ambitions through the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy (TISS) to increase apprenticeships in road and rail client bodies to help address skills shortages in the transport sector, ensuring that the transport sector has the capacity and capability to deliver planned investment and to increase diversity. These included a 20% increase in BAME representation in line with government targets, and 20% of technical and engineering roles to be filled by women, reaching parity with the working population by 2030. Reports in 2019/20 demonstrated that the number of BAME representation had exceeded the target at 21% with a slight decrease in representation from females at 12%, down from 14.8% on previous reporting periods. The Department is committed to ensuring that the transport workforce better reflects our diverse society. As part of the ongoing work to develop a Transport Skills Strategy, the Department has been working with a range of stakeholders leading on the skills and employment agenda, which includes Diversity, Inclusion and Social Mobility. The new Transport Skills Strategy (TSS) will better reflect the challenges currently faced by the transport industry and will aim to help remove barriers to roles by improving diversity and accessibility, ensuring that transport careers are available to everyone.Further to this, the recent Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements applied to a number of Train Operating Companies, included aspirational targets to encourage the increased recruitment of female and BAME candidates over the term of the contract with a requirement to demonstrate the implementation of specific measures to monitor success.

Railways: Females

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of female train drivers in the UK.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of women in senior roles within the rail industry.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of women in senior roles within the rail industry.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of female train conductors in the UK.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of female train conductors in the UK.

Chris Heaton-Harris: No specific assessment has been conducted by my Department of estimates in the number of female train drivers in the UK, female train conductors in the UK or any trends in the level of women in senior roles within the rail industry. However, we are aware of research conducted by the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) which indicates that the number of females within the rail sector as a whole is around 13%. Some of this analysis was included as part of the Williams Rail Review evidence collation and published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-rail-sector-in-numbers.Separate research published by the ASLEF Trade Union in 2019 suggested that around 6.5% of their members who are train drivers are female. I am clear that this needs to be addressed and we are considering this and other issues affecting the diversity of the rail workforce over the next decade and will set out details in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Answer 154560, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the £111.7 million of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme vouchers will be taken from the (a) 2020-21 budget and (b) the 2021-22.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The funding of up to £1.5 billion for the Scheme was originally announced as a short-term stimulus, for use in 2020/21 financial year. All vouchers issued and redeemed in line with the scheme rules will be honoured, regardless of when the work is undertaken. Vouchers become redeemable once scheduled works are completed.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what research his Department has undertaken on the effect of the Green Homes Grant Scheme on levels of investment in (a) low carbon schemes and (b) training for staff by providers.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Green Homes Grant was designed to provide economic stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while helping us meet our net zero commitments and supporting jobs in green retrofit.An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Voucher Scheme, including a comprehensive analysis of scheme processes and outcomes, with evidence collected from scheme applicants, installers and other stakeholders is underway.An independent research organisation, Ipsos MORI, was contracted in December 2020 to undertake the evaluation.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether all Green Home Grant vouchers applied for before 31st March 2021 will come out of the £1.5bn budget for 2020-21.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The funding of up to £1.5 billion for the Scheme was originally announced as a short-term stimulus, for use in 2020/21 financial year. All vouchers issued and redeemed in line with the scheme rules will be honoured, regardless of when the work is undertaken. Vouchers become redeemable once scheduled works are completed.

Fossil Fuels: Overseas Investment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Prime Minister's press release of 12 December 2020, PM announces the UK will end support for fossil fuel sector overseas, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing that policy with immediate effect.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The related consultation launched by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 12 December 2020, ‘Aligning UK international support for the clean energy transition’, set out four possible timing options for implementation of the above referenced policy shift – March 2021, June 2021, October 2021 and Later than 2021. The consultation closed on 8 February 2021, the Government is considering the evidence received, and will respond in due course.

Pensioners: Warm Home Discount Scheme

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2021 to Question 147901 on the Warm Home Discount Scheme, how many Pension Credit Guarantee Credit recipients have received rebates under the Warm Home Discount scheme as of 19 February 2021.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: A total of 978,563 Pension Credit Guarantee Credit recipients were identified as eligible through the data matching process between the Department for Work and Pensions and energy suppliers, and a further 50,000 have successfully claimed a rebate through the WHD helpline. This means that a total of over 1,028,000 rebates will have been issued through the Core Group as of 4 March 2021, which is the latest available data. As energy suppliers are responsible for payment of rebates and are not due to report final numbers until after the end of the scheme year, on 31 March, we can only comment on the number of “Instructions to Pay” that have been issued to energy suppliers rather than the number of rebates paid.

Additional Restrictions Grant: Harlow Council

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding has been allocated to Harlow Council to provide Additional Restriction Grants to local businesses.

Paul Scully: The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is a discretionary scheme aimed at supporting businesses, including those that have not been mandated to close but have had their trade adversely affected by the nationalised restrictions. At the Budget on 3rd March, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an additional £425 million will be made available via the ARG, meaning that more than £2 billion has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020. As at 18 December, 2020, Harlow Council had been allocated £1,741,340 in ARG funding. All data on Government allocations and Local Authority payments of the ARG is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.

Investment Security Unit: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much annual funding his Department provides to the National Security Investment unit within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Paul Scully: BEIS has received a one-year Spending Review settlement along with all other departments. The Investment Security Unit will have the necessary resources to deliver the National Security and Investment regime.

Global Challenges Research Fund

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what level of Official Development Assistance funding The Global Challenges Research Fund is planned to receive for the financial year 2021-22.

Amanda Solloway: The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes. On Tuesday 26th January, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, having concluded the Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations of the Spending Review, issued a statement outlining each Department’s total ODA settlement for financial year 2021/22. BEIS was allocated £706 million, to be split between International Climate Finance (ICF) and Research and Development ODA, which includes the Global Challenges Research Fund.

GPC Computer Software: Uber

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the planned timescale is for the Competition and Markets Authority to report on its investigation of the acquisition by Uber of GPC Software Ltd.

Paul Scully: Competition investigations into mergers are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is an independent non-Ministerial department. On 29 January 2021, the CMA began a merger inquiry in relation to this transaction, which is being carried out independently. The CMA is working to a deadline of 29 March 2021 to complete its initial review. Following its initial review, the CMA can either clear the merger or launch an in-depth assessment of the competition issues. The CMA will publish on its website updates on its review of this merger.

Maternity Leave

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of women who have taken maternity leave have taken their full entitlement of 12 months in each of the last three years.

Paul Scully: In order to gather information among parents on how parental entitlements, including Maternity Leave and Pay, are used in practice, the Government commissioned the Maternity and Paternity Rights Survey. Fieldwork for the survey is complete and we are currently processing and analysing the data that we have collected. We intend to publish our findings, including detailed information on the duration of Maternity Leave taken by mothers surveyed, later this year.

Directors: Codes of Practice

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government has taken to encourage Directors to have regard to the (a) workers, (b) customers, (c) communities and the (d) environment when making decisions.

Paul Scully: The Government introduced new obligations under the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 effective from 1 January 2020. These included new reporting requirements designed to give shareholders and stakeholders more information with which to hold boards of directors to account and more visibility for good boardroom practice. The UK Corporate Governance Code was also revised to include methods of engagement that boards should use to engage with their workforce. These include a director appointed from the workforce, a formal workforce advisory panel and/or a designated non-executive director. Companies are also able to explain what alternative arrangements they use and demonstrate that these are effective. Some information as to how companies have responded so far can be found in the Financial Reporting Council’s November 2020 report on the Corporate Governance Code. The FRC has also commissioned research on this aspect of the Code which will be published shortly. We will continue to monitor progress and consider any further changes needed. Climate change is one of the biggest risks to both our society and our economy, and the Government is working both for a ‘green recovery’ from the pandemic and to achieve the target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Government, as part of its approach, plans to introduce mandatory disclosure requirements for large businesses of financially relevant information related to climate change. This will allow investors and businesses to better understand the material financial impacts of their exposure to climate change, price climate-related risks more accurately, and support the greening of the UK economy. The UK will become the first country in the world to make Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) aligned disclosures fully mandatory across the economy by 2025, with many of these requirements coming into force over the next three years.

Directors: Codes of Practice

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 in providing incentives for directors to act in a way that considers seriously the interests of stakeholders other than shareholders.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Section 172(1) Statements in encouraging directors to discharge their duties with regard to their broader stakeholder community.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Section 172(1) Statements in encouraging directors to discharge their duties with regard to their broader stakeholder community.

Paul Scully: The Government introduced new obligations under the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 effective from 1 January 2020. These included new reporting requirements which give shareholders and stakeholders more information with which to hold boards of directors to account and more visibility for good boardroom practice. Alongside the regulations, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) amended the UK Corporate Governance Code (the Code) to ensure coherence with the Section 172 statement. The Department also worked with the GC100, which issued guidance on the practical application of Section 172 to help companies, available on the GC100 website. Whilst it is still relatively early days for these changes, the Department and the FRC continue to monitor their effectiveness. Early indications are that provision of this information is helping shareholders and stakeholders but more can and should be done. The FRC continues to report annually on the Code. The Regulations provide for a review after five years. This will include an assessment of the impact of increased transparency on the quality of engagement between companies, shareholders and wider stakeholders and the extent to which large private companies have adopted good corporate governance principles.

Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of broadening the scope of companies that those regulations apply to.

Paul Scully: As reporting under the requirement only started from 1 January 2020, and covers all companies required to produce a strategic report, we do not consider it would be proportionate to expand the scope at this time. We will continue to review whether this needs to change in the future.

Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, what assessment he has made of the number of in-scope companies that failed to comply with provisions mandating reporting on matters in section 172(1) of the Companies Act 2006.

Paul Scully: As reporting under the requirement was required for accounting years beginning on or after 1 January 2020, we are only now seeing the results of the first year of reporting. Many companies within scope of these requirements benefited from an extension to filing requirements as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. We will consider the results of ongoing monitoring to identify any shortfalls in compliance and will consider what action is needed on the basis of the findings.

Science: Migrant Workers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will hold discussions with the Home Secretary on the potential effect of the  Global Talent visa system reforms announced in Budget 2021 on the number of overseas applications for science and technology positions; and if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) scientists and (b) researchers that will apply for that visa in its first year of operation after reforms have been implemented.

Amanda Solloway: The Government is committed to making the UK the top destination in the world for scientist, researcher and innovator talent. That is why in the 2021 Budget, the Government announced planned changes to the UK immigration system to help the UK attract and retain the most highly skilled, globally mobile talent from around the world and ensure the continued competitiveness of our high-growth, innovative sectors. These changes include the introduction of an elite points-based visa, a review of the Innovator visa route, and reforms to the Global Talent visa, including to allow recipients of international prizes to automatically qualify. We are working closely with the Home Office on these matters, and my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy speaks regularly with my Rt. Hon. Friend the Home Secretary to discuss our plans for growth and to build back better, of which these immigration announcements are key components. Further details on the policies and impact assessments will be published in due course. The Government expects these immigration changes to attract an additional 10-20,000 high-skilled migrants to the UK per year across all high-skilled routes to turbo-charge our post pandemic recovery and stimulate the UK’s longer-term growth.

Research: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to encourage funding from the private sector for research and development.

Amanda Solloway: As set out in ‘Building Back Better: our Plan for Growth’, we are developing an Innovation Strategy, which will be published in the summer. The Strategy will consider how we can boost innovation across the UK economy to increase productivity and tackle our biggest social and economic challenges. The Government has set out plans at Spending Review to cement the UK’s status as a global leader in science and innovation by investing £14.6 billion in R&D in 2021/22. This investment supports our commitments set out in the R&D Roadmap as we build towards UK R&D investment of 2.4% of GDP by 2027. Leveraging investment from the private sector will be vital to reach the 2.4% target and achieve our ambitions for innovation. The Government has already set out at Budget a range of measures to boost private investment in research and development, including a review of R&D tax reliefs, supported by a consultation with stakeholders, and £375 million to introduce Future Fund: Breakthrough, a new direct co-investment product to support the scale up of the most innovative, R&D-intensive businesses. These developments will complement our existing incentives for private R&D investment.

Employment: Hong Kong

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with employers to ensure that people coming to the UK country from Hong Kong under (a) the BN(O) and (b) other visa schemes are able to secure employment using qualifications obtained in Hong Kong.

Paul Scully: The Department has extensive engagement with businesses of all sizes, as well as trade associations and business representative organisations. Professionals with non-UK professional qualifications may need to have their qualifications recognised by the appropriate regulator or professional body if they want to work in a profession or use professional titles regulated in the UK. Hong Kong British Nationals can seek advice from the UK Centre for Professional Qualifications to find out which regulatory or professional body they should contact and how to get their professional qualification recognised. Many regulators already have arrangements in place with their Hong Kong and other international counterparts and provide routes to recognition for professionals with qualifications obtained outside the UK.

Business: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the funding distribution equation for discretionary business support is calculated by local authority population or by individual business size; and if he will publish the methodology for the distribution of discretionary business support funds.

Paul Scully: The methodology for calculating grant allocations for the discretionary business grant funds has been published in Government guidance for Local Authorities which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses. There are two discretionary schemes which have been available for specified periods from August 2020 - the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) and the Additional Restrictions Grant. For the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open), applicable between the 1 August- 5 November 2020 and between 5th December 2020 and 5th January 2021, in areas where local Covid-19 restrictions were in place, the relevant Local Authorities were issued funding allocations which were calculated using Valuations Office Agency (VOA) data on the number of hospitality, accommodation and leisure businesses in the Local Authority geography, plus a 5% top up. For the Additional Restrictions Grant, the initial allocation and subsequent additional allocations were based on ONS 2019 Mid-Year Population Estimate for the total population within a given Local Authority.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the £6 billion of additional funding for vaccine development and procurement announced in Budget 2021 will be spent on (a) research and development, (b) manufacturing and (c) procurement; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The UK was the first country in the world to procure, authorise, and start a vaccination programme using the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines. The Government has secured access to 457 million doses, across eight different vaccine developers. As of 11 March, over 22.8 million individuals have been vaccinated with a first dose in the UK. At the Spending Review 2020, the Government announced it had made available more than £6 billion in total to develop, manufacture, and procure COVID-19 vaccines. Of that, we confirmed £733 million in 2021-22 to purchase successful vaccines and £128 million for research and development (R&D) and vaccines manufacturing. Further funding will be allocated from the COVID-19 reserve as needed. For R&D, we have invested:£33.6 million for the Human Challenge Programme.£20 million to the University of Oxford to fund clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine.Over £40 million to Imperial College London for the development of its vaccine. At Budget 2021, the Government announced funding of:£28 million to increase the UK’s capacity for vaccine testing, support for clinical trials, and to improve the UK’s ability to rapidly acquire samples of new variants of COVID-19.£22 million for a world-leading study to test the effectiveness of combinations of different COVID-19 vaccines. This will also fund the world’s first study assessing the effectiveness of a third dose of vaccine to improve the response against current and future variants of COVID-19.A further £5 million on top of a previous £9 million investment in clinical-scale mRNA manufacturing, to create a ‘library’ of vaccines that will work against COVID-19 variants for possible rapid response deployment. For manufacturing, the Government has invested over £300 million to secure and scale-up the UK’s manufacturing capabilities to be able to respond to the pandemic. This includes:a) Facilities that have come online:£4.7 million for skills training through the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network, which will be delivered through both virtual and physical centres.£8.75 million for the set-up of the rapid deployment facility at Oxford Biomedica in Oxfordshire.£65.5 million for the early manufacture of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.Funding for fill and finish capabilities through a contract with Wockhardt in Wrexham, North Wales which is currently providing fill and finish capabilities to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.b) Facilities that will come online later this year, to help provide longer-term UK capacity:£93 million to accelerate the completion and expanded role of the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire.£127 million for the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in Braintree, Essex.In addition to the above, we have also funded the expansion of the Valneva factory in Livingston, Scotland.

Attorney General

Young Offenders: Mental Health

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Attorney General, what proportion of young adults aged 18-25 who are charged by the CPS have received a maturity assessment prior to charge in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Lucy Frazer: The Crown Prosecution Service (‘CPS’) does not hold data on the number of young adults aged 18-25 that have received a maturity assessment prior to charge. However, the CPS recognises the importance of considering a suspect’s age and maturity when making a decision. This is included in the Code for Crown Prosecutors and relevant legal guidance, and is included in training for specialist youth prosecutors.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Pupils

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) offering confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for all students who test positive for covid-19 after taking an in-school lateral flow test and (b) students being allowed back to school if that PCR is negative.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgical Mesh Implants: Hormone Replacement Therapy

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the NHS has for the use of Ovestin cream in preference to mesh removal surgery for the future treatment of victims of the vaginal mesh scandal; whether advocates of that alternative method of treatment include surgeons who previously supported the implantation of vaginal mesh; what evidence base there is for the use of Ovestin cream to diminish symptoms arising from mesh implantation; and what assessment has been made of possible harmful side-effects of using cream as a substitute for mesh removal surgery.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS England has not considered Ovestin cream as an alternative to mesh removal surgery, nor the evidence behind its use to diminish symptoms arising from mesh implantation. However, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines NG123 recommend that non-surgical treatment options for mesh removal can include the use of vaginal oestrogen cream, including Ovestin cream, for patients who have a single area of vaginal mesh exposure that is smaller than 1 cm2.Side-effects relating to Ovestin cream can be found in the accompanying leaflet to the medicine which is available at the following link:https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5384/pilNo assessment made of whether advocates for the use of Ovestin cream include surgeons who previously supported the implantation of vaginal mesh.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether home carers are planned to receive a covid-19 vaccination at the same time as those they care for who are clinically extremely vulnerable.

Nadhim Zahawi: Unpaid carers are included in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s priority group six which comprises of all individuals aged 16 to 64 years old with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. This also includes those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer fall ill.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinically vulnerable emergency service workers are prioritised for the covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England and Improvement have set out Operational Guidance on the Vaccination of Frontline Health and Social Care Workers. This includes all frontline social care workers directly working with people clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 who need care and support irrespective of where they work, whether they care for clinically vulnerable adults or children or who they are employed by. All frontline healthcare staff who are eligible for seasonal influenza vaccination should be offered a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes paramedics and ambulance drivers. If an emergency worker is not included due to their occupation but is eligible for prioritisation due to their age or clinical risk, then they will be vaccinated in the according priority group.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) voluntary workers supporting vulnerable people and (b) other voluntary workers will be considered for priority in the next stage of the covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

Nadhim Zahawi: Volunteers working in frontline health or social care settings and at COVID-19 vaccination sites are eligible for vaccination in the first phase as frontline healthcare workers. Voluntary workers working across all other settings who are eligible for a vaccine, because of their age or other clinical factors, such as underlying health conditions, will have access to a vaccine in the first phase.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits making key workers a priority group for covid-19 vaccination.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure teachers and school staff in special schools have access to the covid-19 vaccine; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making teachers and school staff in special schools a priority group for vaccination.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure teachers and school staff in special schools have access to the covid-19 vaccine; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making teachers and school staff in special schools a priority group for vaccination.

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise teachers in special schools for the covid-19 vaccine.

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise teachers in special schools for the covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: We have no plans to prioritise teachers and key workers by their occupation.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s interim advice for phase two of the vaccination programme sets out the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age. If teachers or key workers are captured in phase one or two due to their age or clinical need they will be vaccinated accordingly.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NHS staff employed by ambulance trusts will receive their covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: All frontline healthcare staff and social care workers involved with direct patient care have been prioritised in the deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations. National Health Service ambulance trust staff are included in this definition and have been prioritised for a vaccination in priority cohort two.

Coronavirus: Bedfordshire

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when a vaccine for covid-19 will be available to high priority patients in (a) Bedford and (b) Kempston.

Nadhim Zahawi: The phased vaccination programme commenced on 8 December 2020. The NHS has now offered the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone in the top four priority cohorts which includes people aged 70 years old and over, care home residents and staff, health and care staff and clinically extremely vulnerable patients.From 15 February 2021, we have been inviting people aged 65 to 69 years old and those who are defined as clinically vulnerable and are therefore thought to be at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 to book their vaccination. The target to reach all those in priority cohorts five to nine is 15 April 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise special education needs teachers in the covid-19 vaccine roll-out following the vaccination of the existing priority categories.

Nadhim Zahawi: No decisions have yet been taken on prioritisation for phase two of the vaccination deployment programme but interim advice has been published by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending an age-based approach which the Government has accepted in principle. Their advice can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-phase-2-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-programme-advice-from-the-jcvi/jcvi-interim-statement-on-phase-2-of-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 vaccinations have been administered in each region of England up to 6 January 2020.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England publishes daily data for vaccinations in England, showing the total first and second doses given to date, by region. This data is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data is being shared with local authorities on local take-up of covid-19 vaccines, by ethnicity.

Nadhim Zahawi: Public health teams have access to vaccination event data for the sustainability and transformation partnerships (STP) for their local authority. This is presented in the validated vaccination events dashboard and the COVID-19 vaccination equalities tool.The dashboard provides views of all vaccination activity at all sites within a STP by delivery model, site, dose, vaccine type and vaccination uptake across ethnicity, age and other key Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation cohorts. The tool allows local authorities to track age cohort by ethnicity and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) compared to a national average and an adjustable uptake target. It also identifies gaps between uptake targets and current vaccinations in each age cohort, both by ethnicity and IMD group. Additionally, local authorities can access a daily dataset to view testing and case data. This data is only available for age cohorts over 70 years of age and for lower tier local authorities includes data by detailed ethnic group.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will estimate the number of covid-19 vaccinations received by Haemato-oncology staff.

Nadhim Zahawi: We are unable to estimate the numbers of vaccines given to individual groups of healthcare staff.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the disproportionate effect of covid-19 on Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, whether he plans to collect ethnicity data on people who are vaccinated against covid-19; and what his Department's reasons are for that data collection decision.

Jo Churchill: Data on a patient’s ethnicity is recorded on the National Immunisation Management System and on a patient’s general practitioner record at the point of vaccination. There is clear evidence that certain black, Asian and minority ethnic groups have higher rates of infection and higher rates of serious disease, morbidity and mortality. Whilst there is no strong evidence that ethnicity is the sole explanation for this, it is important to capture ethnicity data to understand the level of uptake in different groups.

Coronavirus: Liverpool West Derby

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of covid-19 vaccinations administered each day are administered in Liverpool West Derby constituency.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England and NHS Improvement publish weekly data for vaccinations in England. This provides data on vaccinations by local authority, constituency and region. This is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/ We do not publish daily vaccination figures at constituency level.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to use Aintree community centre as a vaccination centre for covid 19.

Nadhim Zahawi: Aintree community centre is being used as a vaccination centre for COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish statistics on covid-19 vaccinations at constituency level.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England publishes weekly data for vaccinations in England by constituency, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-vaccinations/

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people living in households that include members with (a) blood cancer, (b) HIV and (c) other immune deficiency disorders will be prioritised for the covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: Those who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable, should be offered vaccination in priority group six. This group includes unpaid carers. In addition, consideration has been given by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is insufficient data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Further evidence is expected to accrue on transmission during the course of the vaccine programme but currently the JCVI is not in a position to advise vaccination solely on the basis of indirect protection.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that all people who are not registered with a GP who are eligible for the covid-19 vaccine are (a) identified and (b) contacted to access that vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: The terms under which general practitioner (GP) practices are commissioned to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination services enable practices to vaccinate unregistered patients. Individuals who are not registered with a GP will therefore be able to access the vaccine in line with the priority groups outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations (JCVI). However, we would strongly encourage everyone to register so that they may be more easily invited for vaccination.Every local system should have a plan for full coverage for inclusion health groups - for example, homeless people. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with local government, voluntary, community and social enterprise partners and Healthwatch England on a campaign to support all people, particularly those in inclusion health groups, to register with a GP. A key driver of the registration campaign is to support identification of those who should be prioritised for the vaccine.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence on transmission the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation assessed  when deciding whether to prioritise household members of immunocompromised clinically extremely vulnerable people in phase two of the covid-19 vaccine programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 30 December 2020, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published its advice on phase one of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. In this advice it stated that consideration had been given to vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at that time there was no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission.The JCVI is keeping its advice under review, including with regard to emerging evidence on the impact of vaccination on asymptomatic infection and whether this may indicate an impact on transmission. This was last considered at the JCVI’s COVID-19 sub-committee on 4 March 2020 and a position is being agreed with the JCVI’s main committee members.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how unpaid carer is defined in relation to covid-19 prioritisation; and whether that definition includes adult household members of clinically extremely vulnerable people.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Green Book: chapter 14a defines adult carers as those who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable. This includes unpaid carers and those who care for clinically extremely vulnerable people as a sole or primary carer. Adult carers will be prioritised for vaccination and are included in priority group six of phase one.  Other adult members of a household that includes someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable are, in line with the current Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advice, prioritised for vaccination according to their own age, clinical and other risk factors.

General Practitioners: Registration

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Auestion 140150 on General Practitioners: Registration, how many people not registered with a GP have received their first covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information is not held in the format requested.

NHS Injury Benefits Scheme

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of rejected applications for permanent injury benefit under the NHS Injury Benefits Scheme have been successfully appealed in each year since 2002.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Injury Benefits Scheme

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what avenues of appeal applicants who have been denied permanent injury benefit under the NHS Injury Benefits Scheme are able to take if they can demonstrate inconsistencies between the findings at different stages of the review process.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in each of the last five years, how many (a) referrals were made by youth offending teams to children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS), and (b) children referred by youth offending teams to CYPMHS received support.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information is not held in the format requested Data showing the referrals made by youth offending teams to children and young people’s mental health services is only available from 2019/20. Prior to 2019/20, such referrals were included in the total referrals made by the wider justice system.Available data shows that in 2019/20, there were 845 referrals made by youth offending teams to children and young people's mental health services and 483 children and young people were in contact with mental health services after being referred by youth offending teams. Data showing the number of children and young people receiving support is not available.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) Public Health England and (b) its replacement the National Institute for Health Protection to tackle the covid-19 outbreak and future pandemics.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

PHE Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to the support the delivery of public health solutions at the new public health science campus at Harlow.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

PHE Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has for the new public health science campus at Harlow to play a leading role in the UK's preparedness against future pandemics.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of  personal protective equipment purchased by the Govenrment was manufactured in the UK in each month in the last 12 months.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Business Services Authority

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the employment criteria for Dispute Advisers within the NHS Business Service Authority.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Influenza: Vaccination

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons children who turn two years old between September and December are not eligible for that year's flu vaccine.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Antibiotics: Side-effects

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing fluoroquinolone toxicity as a diagnosis in response to the negative side effects attributed to fluoroquinolone usage by some patients.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS Injury Benefits Scheme

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many complaints his Department has received on the suitability of the review process for the award of (a) permanent injury benefit and (b) any other benefits under the NHS Injury Benefits Scheme, since 2002.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

PHE Harlow

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the delivery of the new public health science campus at Harlow.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Antibiotics: Side-effects

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that healthcare professionals are fully aware of (a) the potentially serious side effects experienced by some patients as a result of fluoroquinolone usage and (b) the recommended restriction of fluoroquinolone usage in response to the reviews of that usage by the European Medicines Agency and Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Offenders

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Liaison and Diversion services routinely assess the maturity of defendants aged between 18 and 24 for pre-sentence reports.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Liaison and Diversion services screen and assess individuals of any age who are referred to the service for a wide range of vulnerabilities, including mental health, substance misuse, learning disabilities and difficulties, autism, acquired brain injury, speech language and communications needs. This helps inform an indication of maturity and ability to comprehend or engage with services. There are no currently known assessment tools designed specifically to assess maturity.If concerns regarding maturity are identified, these will be shared, with the individual’s consent, with key decision-makers in criminal justice agencies and Liaison and Diversion outreach workers will design an holistic package of support, making referrals to relevant health, social care and voluntary sector services.

Coronavirus: Babies and Parents

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the health and safety of (a) newborn babies and (b) new parents who have been diagnosed with covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Guidance on caring for pregnant and postnatal women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and their babies is published and available from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The guidance sets out that families should be guided on how to identify signs of illness in their new-born or worsening of the woman’s symptoms and provided with appropriate details on who to contact if they have concerns or questions. Women who have recently given birth and test positive for COVID-19 should receive all recommended advice, guidance and support in relation to their postnatal physical and mental health and wellbeing and care of their new-born baby.

Parkinson's Disease: Mental Health Services

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Pathway for People with Long Term Conditions for people living with Parkinson's against IAPT National Standards on (a) waiting times, (b) access rate and (c) recovery rates.

Ms Nadine Dorries: No such assessment has been made. However, since September 2020, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) dataset has begun to collect information regarding the specific long term conditions that people presenting to IAPT services have in order to allow NHS England and NHS Improvement to better monitor access and outcomes for different groups accessing IAPT– long term conditions services.NHS Digital will be publishing long term conditions specific breakdowns of IAPT data later this month and we anticipate including a Parkinson’s specific analysis of the data later in the year, subject to there being sufficient numbers of patients presenting with Parkinson’s in order to facilitate this analysis.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Mental Health Services

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Long Term Condition services have been commissioned for people with (a) Parkinson's and (b) neurological conditions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: No Improving Access to Psychological Therapies for Long Term Condition services have been commissioned specifically for people with Parkinson’s or neurological conditions.

Endometriosis: Diagnosis

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce diagnosis times for endometriosis.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Research into the experience of women presenting in primary care with endometriosis-like symptoms is currently underway, hosted by the National Institute of Health Research. The results will be published later this year and will help us to understand delays in diagnosis.On 8 March, we launched a 12-week call for evidence as part of the first Government-led Women’s Health Strategy for England. The online survey within the call for evidence seeks information on gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.

Eating Disorders: Children and Young People

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of children and young people presenting with acute eating disorders during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Urgent treatment referrals to children and young people’s eating disorder services increased in the first quarter of 2020/21. We have announced extra funding for eating disorder services so that an additional 2,000 children and young people can get the support they need. This follows NHS England and NHS Improvement’s plans to expand rapid access to specialist treatment for young people with eating disorders across England, aiming to contact patients within 48 hours and beginning treatment as soon as two weeks later.

Mental Illness: Personal Income

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding of the recent Mind the Income Gap report by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute that people with mental health problems median income is 68 per cent of that of people without those conditions, what steps he is taking to tackle that income gap.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We recognise the important link between money and mental health and we are working to improve the financial security of those living with mental illness. A cross-Government group of Ministers was convened to consider the impact of the pandemic on mental health and wellbeing and we will be bringing our plans forward in due course.

Coronavirus: Undocumented Migrants

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of illegal migrants and overstayers who are reluctant to engage with the NHS during the covid-19 outbreak as a result of concerns over their immigration status.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We have made no such estimate.

Antenatal Care: Staff

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to increase the (a) recruitment of staff and (b) training of staff to provide perinatal pelvic floor services.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department plans to allocate for the provision of  perinatal pelvic floor services in the next five years; and where the focus of that funding will be targeted.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Perinatal pelvic health care is provided and funded locally across England. In addition to existing local investment, the NHS Long Term Plan commits to improving access to postnatal physiotherapy and for all women to have access to multidisciplinary pelvic health care across England by March 2024.This will be delivered locally through the establishment of Perinatal Pelvic Health Services, and NHS England and NHS Improvement will be providing 14 Early Implementer Systems (EIS) with up to £10.5 million funding to help develop these services from Quarter 4 2021/22 to 2023/24. The EIS plans to increase the establishment of specialist physiotherapists and midwives and provide additional training to maternity staff to improve the prevention, identification and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in the perinatal period.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value is of service credits applied to SITEL’s contract to run the Isolation Assurance Service.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Public Health England has not awarded any service level credits to the contractor working on the Isolation Assurance Service.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the maximum distance from an individual's home address that a vaccine appointment will be offered through the nhs online vaccination booking service.

Nadhim Zahawi: Currently, in England, more than 98% of the population is within 10 miles of a vaccine service. In a small number of highly rural areas, the vaccination centre will be a mobile unit.Vaccination centres publish their own directions on the National Booking System and some have their own website to support visitors with further information on location and accessibility. Patients booking vaccination appointments can choose a site that meets their accessibility needs and transport requirements and will be informed of the distance of the site from the postcode they have entered. Users on the National Booking Service are able to view sites up to 60 miles from the postcode they choose to search from.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a person may (a) form a support bubble with someone who is living abroad and (b) travel to visit them during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Under the current restrictions, people may only leave their home and travel for limited reasons permitted in law, including to visit a support bubble. If someone does need to travel abroad for a permitted reason, they must check the restrictions in place at their destination and ensure they are complying with the relevant law and guidance. They should also adhere to any quarantine rules that apply on their return to England. It is not advised that people form a support bubble with someone who is living abroad.

Dental Services: Travel

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is permissible to travel aboard for cosmetic dental surgery whilst abiding by the quarantine and testing rules during the period of covid-19 lockdown restrictions announced in January 2021.

Ms Nadine Dorries: It is currently illegal to travel abroad without a legally permitted reason to do so, which includes attending medical appointments. Anyone choosing to travel should consider the public health advice and travel restrictions in the country they are visiting.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value is of service credits applied to SITEL’s contract to run the Isolation Assurance Service.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Public Health England has not awarded any service level credits to the contractor working on the Isolation Assurance Service.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the proportion of special school staff who have received the covid-19 vaccine; and what steps he is taking to ensure that staff can access vaccinations as soon as possible.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with the Secretary of State for Education on the prioritisation of special school staff for covid-19 vaccines.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with the Secretary of State for Education on the prioritisation of special school staff for covid-19 vaccines.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regularly discusses a range of issues with Cabinet colleagues including the COVID-19 vaccine programme.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) identified frontline health and care staff as priority for vaccination. For social care workers, local authority Directors of Adult Social Services should identify those eligible for vaccination among frontline social care workers who work closely and regularly with those who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19. In addition, if a special school staff member is identified as being in one of the other at risk cohorts, they will be contacted by the National Health Service at the appropriate time based on the JCVI’s advice.

Travel: Quarantine

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a UK resident is allowed to quarantine in their motor home on return to the UK from Spain.

Ms Nadine Dorries: If someone has not been in a red-list country they must quarantine at home and book and take mandatory COVID-19 tests on day two and day eight of their quarantine. They must complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) two days before they travel with details of where they will quarantine when they arrive. Individuals must provide a registered United Kingdom address on the PLF. For someone quarantining in a motor home, this would mean they need to remain parked in the same location for the duration of the 10 days quarantine.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward proposals to allow for two children under the age of 12 to meet outdoors with an adult present for very limited interactions under covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Under the current restrictions, people cannot leave home for recreational or leisure purposes. It is against the law for anyone, including children under 12 years old, to meet socially with friends outdoors, including if an adult is present, unless they are part of their household or support bubble.The Government keeps the restrictions under continual review and will make changes if the data and science support it.

Coronavirus: Public Houses

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific evidence that supports the distinction between allowing pubs that serve a substantial meal to open in tier 2 while those that do not should remain closed.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Unfortunately, we know that the virus spreads readily in indoor environments where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together. These restrictions do not single out restaurants, pubs or gyms, but apply to a wide range of settings where the risk of transmission is high. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies provided advice to the Department and considered the risks of transmission through different routes and environments in a paper which is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/933225/S0824_SARS-CoV-2_Transmission_routes_and_environments.pdf

Mental Health Services: Finance

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a breakdown of how the additional £500 million for mental health services in 2021, announced in Spending Review 2020, will be allocated.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to use funding from the additional £500 million allocated in Spending Review 2020 to mental health services in 2021 to help meet the mental health needs of people living with Parkinson's.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to use funding from the additional £500 million allocated in Spending Review 2020 to mental health services in 2021 to help meet the mental health needs of people living with Parkinson's.

Ms Nadine Dorries: On 5 March, we announced that £79 million of this funding would be used to boost mental health support for children and young people. An announcement is expected to be made shortly giving further details on how the remainder of the £500 million will be spent.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the prioritisation of counsellors and psychotherapists who do not work on the frontline during the next phase of the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: Counsellor and psychotherapists who are eligible for a vaccine because of their age or other clinical factors, such as underlying health conditions, will have access to a vaccine in the first phase. Phase two of the COVID-19 vaccine programme will cover all adults under 50 years old not already included in phase one. Prioritisation for phase two has not yet been decided, but interim advice has been published by the JVCI recommending an age-based approach which the Government has accepted in principle.

Coronavirus: Paper

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to issue guidance on the risk of transmission of coronavirus on paper.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We have no plans to issue guidance specifically on the risk of transmission via paper. However, we have published guidance on the risks of spreading the virus on surfaces such as furniture, benches or door handles and the importance of regular handwashing and cleaning of surfaces to reduce the spread, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19/how-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a timely and adequate supply of test kits are made available for staff and residents in care homes throughout the UK.

Helen Whately: All Care Quality Commission registered care homes in England are eligible for a combination of polymerase chain reaction tests (PCR) and rapid lateral flow devices (LFDs). Staff have provision for two rapid LFD and one PCR test per week. Residents have provision for one PCR test per month. In addition, all staff and residents have access to ‘rapid response’ testing if a positive case is detected in the home.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what definition of severe and profound learning difficulties he uses for the purpose of covid-19 vaccine priority.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure GPs are able to identify people with a learning disability who qualify for the covid-19 vaccine under priority groups 4 and 6.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure GPs are able to identify people with a learning disability who qualify for the covid-19 vaccine under priority groups 4 and 6.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the current guidance on prioritisation of people with learning difficulties for covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding priority group six to include all people with learning disabilities.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the current guidance on prioritisation of people with learning difficulties for covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding priority group six to include all people with learning disabilities.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 24 February 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published a clarification of their advice on vaccinating people with a learning disability. They confirmed their view that priority should be given to those with a severe and profound learning disability, but recognised concerns about coding of learning disability on general practitioner (GP) systems and supported a practical approach of inviting everyone who is on the GP Learning Disability Register for vaccination in cohort six. The JCVI also recognised that some people with a learning disability would not be coded at all on GP systems, and supported the planned approach to work with local authorities to identify those in residential and nursing care and those who required support - for example as part of assisted living in the community - and those in shared accommodation with multiple occupancy, to ensure this population could be offered vaccination.

Coronavirus: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 12 October 2020, official report, column 55, on covid-19 update, what proportion of transmissions in Newcastle he estimates to have taken place in schools in each week for which data is available; and on which data that assessment is based.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Although we are developing increasing detail about the transmission of the virus in geographical areas, we do not hold data by locality on the proportion of transmissions linked to schools. However, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has convened a sub-group, the Transmission Working Group – SAGE-EMG, to look at answer questions around transmission across a range of sectors and environments.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding by Mencap that 80 per cent of deaths of people with a learning disability in the week ending 22 January 2021 were related to covid-19, if he will include people with mild to moderate learning disabilities in the first phase of covid-19 vaccinations; and whether he (a) has directed or (b) plans to direct the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to make an assessment of the potential effects of (i) including and (ii) excluding people with mild to moderate learning disabilities from the first vaccination phase.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed data on mortality from COVID-19 in coming to its recommendation, which included the available data on those with learning disabilities. As a result, individuals with severe and profound learning disabilities and younger adults with learning disabilities living in residential and care homes are prioritised for a vaccination in group six. Adults with Down’s syndrome were included in the clinically extremely vulnerable cohort and have therefore been included within priority group four. Everyone on their general practitioner’s Learning Disability Register will be vaccinated as part of priority group six in phase one.

Mental Health Services: Children

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many out of area placements for children accessing mental health beds there were in Yorkshire and the Humber region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: This information is not held in the format requested.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on rolling out the regular testing of care home residents’ families in (a) Poplar and Limehouse and (b) throughout England.

Helen Whately: All Care Quality Commission-registered adult care homes, including those in Poplar and Limehouse, are receiving lateral flow device (LFD) test kits to enable safe visits, where permitted. From 8 March, care home residents will be able to be visited indoors by a single, named individual who will be required to have a test beforehand, wear personal protective equipment during the visit and avoid close contact. All visitors will receive a lateral flow test and be required to follow all infection prevention and control measures.

Coronavirus: Fines

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been designated powers to issue fixed penalty notices under paragraph 9 (a)(iii) of Regulation 11 of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020; how many fixed penalty notices have been issued by those people; and for what reason those powers are required.

Ms Nadine Dorries: District councils, county councils, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London, in its capacity as a local authority, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly were delegated enforcement powers under the equivalent designation provisions in a number of previous Coronavirus Restrictions Regulations.Paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020 (the All Tiers Regulations) carries across these designations to continue under the All Tiers Regulations. The specific power in 9 (a)(iii) of (the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 has not been used to make designations to date. However, it is considered necessary to retain this option, to ensure that enforcement can remain comprehensive.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to protect care home residents during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: The Adult Social Care Winter Plan sets out the actions the Government are taking to support the sector. We are providing free personal protective equipment (PPE) to care homes via the PPE portal until June 2021. In addition, we have provided over £1.4 billion in specific funding for adult social care, £4.6 billion for local authorities to address pressures on public services, infection prevention and control guidance and increased staff testing to identify new cases and protect the workforce as well as residents.We have placed residents and staff in care homes for older adults in the highest priority group of the vaccination programme, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) potential merits of including ME/CFS on the list of neurological conditions in group 6 of the JCVI priority list and (b) consistency of GP decisions on including ME/CFS patients in group 6.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not identified any robust data to indicate that, as a group, persons with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19, therefore this group is not included as part of the prioritisation for phase one of the programme.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the decision will be taken on the next priority groups to receive the covid-19 vaccine; and when that decision will be communicated to the NHS workforce responsible for inviting people for vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: Phase two of the COVID-19 vaccine programme will cover all adults under 50 years old not already included in phase one. Prioritisation for phase two has not yet been decided, but interim advice has been published by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending an age-based approach which the Government has accepted in principle. The JCVI’s final advice will be published in due course followed by a final decision by the Government on the approach to prioritisation for phase two. Once decided, the information needed to operationalise the decision will be cascaded to those delivering the deployment programme including those responsible for inviting people for vaccination.

Coronavirus: Screening

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide lateral flow tests at no cost to residents in supported living schemes.

Helen Whately: From 25 February, we expanded our free asymptomatic testing and included rapid lateral flow device (LFD) testing for staff in ‘high risk’ extra care and supported living settings alongside the existing weekly and monthly polymerase chain reaction testing for staff and residents, in line with the latest evidence. We are constantly reviewing our testing arrangements in extra care and supported living, as well as across adult social care, to prevent outbreaks and save lives.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what priority for covid-19 vaccination has been given people living in sheltered housing.

Nadhim Zahawi: People aged 65 to 69 years old and those who are clinically vulnerable against COVID-19 are now being invited to book their vaccination.  Many younger adults in residential care settings will be eligible for vaccination because they fall into one of the clinical risk groups. Given the likely high risk of exposure in these settings, where a high proportion of the population would be considered eligible, vaccination of the whole resident population is recommended. Younger residents in care homes for the elderly will be at high risk of exposure and although they may be at lower risk of mortality than older residents should not be excluded from vaccination programmes.

Bereavement Counselling: Charities

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will continue to financially support bereavement charities after 31 March 2021.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government will continue to work closely with bereavement organisations to ensure that support is available to those who have been bereaved, when they need it. This has included the provision of £10.2 million of funding since the start of the pandemic to mental health organisations, including bereavement organisations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Gareth Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the effect of that country’s digitised healthcare system on its covid-19 vaccination rollout.

Nadhim Zahawi: We have had no such specific discussions.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total spend was by NHS England on children and young people’s mental health services including (a) spending by clinical commissioning groups and (b) spending on Tier 4 services in each of the years 2015-16 to 2020-21; and what the forecast spending is for 2021-22.

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) total spending was in 2020-21 and (b) forecast spending is for 2021-2 for (i) NHS England, (ii) NHS mental health services for all age groups and (iii) NHS children and young people’s mental health services.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Information on NHS England and NHS Improvement and clinical commissioning group spending (CCG) spending is shown in the following table. Expenditure on Tier 4 and other children and young people’s mental health services commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement is not identified separately. Full expenditure data for 2020/21 and planned expenditure for 2021/22 is not yet available.YearCCG spend on children and young people’s mental health1  £ millionTotal CCG spend on mental health2 £ millionNHS England and NHS Improvement specialised commissioning spend on mental health £ millionTotal NHS spend on mental health £ million2015/16n/a£9,148.3£1,830.6£10,978.92016/17n/a£9,722.8£1,879.1£11,601.92017/18£687.2£10,079.6£1,896.4£11,976.02018/19£753.3£10,559.0£1,954.2£12,513.22019/20£841.1£11,267.8£2,057.0£13,324.8Source: NHS Mental Health Dashboard, NHS England and NHS ImprovementNotes:1 excluding learning disabilities2 including learning disabilities and dementia

Mental Health Services: Health Professions

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 9 February 2021 to Question 147019, how many wellbeing guardians have been appointed by health boards in England; where those wellbeing guardians are employed; and what steps he is taking to measure the effect of those appointments on the wellbeing of frontline healthcare workers.

Helen Whately: The Wellbeing Guardian (WBG) is a new board level or equivalent senior leadership role designed to champion the wellbeing of their National Health Service organisational workforce. NHS England and NHS Improvement held an event on 28 February 2021 to formally launch the role with all NHS organisations. Initial data indicating prevalence of WBG role uptake in large acute, community, provider organisations and clinical commissioning groups, based on attendees at the launch event shows 208 NHS organisations across the country were represented, 37 or 18% had a wellbeing guardian in place, 29 or 14% had a wellbeing guardian starting in the role soon and 142 or 68% were seeking advice on how to implement the role.

Coronavirus: Israel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on that country’s policies to (a) encourage uptake of covid-19 vaccination and (b) tackle disinformation campaigns.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department has had no such discussions.

Palliative Care

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support he is providing to local authorities to help assess people’s entitlement for end of life care in their home.

Helen Whately: Clinical care, including at the end of life, is the responsibility of the National Health Service. In addition to the clinical care patients need when cared for at home many will also need support with their non-clinical care needs.Local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual’s eligibility for support as set out in the Care Act 2014 and where the individual is eligible for financial support, for meeting those non-clinical care needs. Where individuals are not eligible for financial support, local authorities will support them, should they require assistance, to make their own arrangements for care services.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including long covid as an underlying health condition in determining vaccine priority.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is monitoring the emerging evidence on ‘long’ COVID-19 and will review this as part of its considerations for the vaccination programme.

Coronavirus: Travel

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether someone will be legally permitted to travel abroad to get married under covid restrictions on 1 May 2021.

Ms Nadine Dorries: As set out in the roadmap published on 22 February, the Government has a clear plan for removing the current restrictions based on the data, rather than dates. For that reason, it is not possible to say definitively what the set of restrictions on 1 May will be.

Mental Health Services: Health Professions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Approved Mental Health Professionals are included in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s definition of frontline health and social care workers.

Nadhim Zahawi: All frontline healthcare staff who are eligible for seasonal influenza vaccination should be offered COVID-19 vaccine. This includes those working in independent, voluntary and non-standard healthcare settings such as hospices and community-based mental health or addiction services. Approved Mental Health Professionals are included in Public Health England's Green Book which defines frontline staff who have frequent, face to face clinical contact with patients.

Health Services: Older People

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the long term funding of care for the elderly after the covid-19 outbreak.

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support homeowners wanting to access permanent social care.

Helen Whately: We are committed to bringing forward a proposal for social care this year to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and to find long term solutions for one of the biggest challenges we face as a society.At present, the equity in an individual’s home is only taken into consideration as part of means testing their contribution towards their social care costs if they were the only adult living in it and they are entering residential care. Currently, Deferred Payment Agreements are available to allow eligible individuals to access the equity in their home to pay for their residential care, without having to sell it.

Pregnancy Loss Review Group

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Pregnancy Loss Review Group last met; and when they plan to publish their report.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Pregnancy Loss Review Advisory Panel last met on 24 October 2018. The report is expected to be published in 2021.

Coronavirus: Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people aged 70 years and over have received covid-19 vaccinations in the Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross constituency.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information is not held in the format requested as data for Scotland is published by local authority rather than constituency. Public Health Scotland’s data for the vaccine programme is available at the following link:https://public.tableau.com/profile/phs.covid.19#!/vizhome/COVID-19DailyDashboard_15960160643010/Overview

Abortion: Childbirth

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to Queston 118932 on abortion: childbirth, how many infants having been born alive after a failed abortion were (a) provided care and died and (b) provided care and lived in each year since 2006.

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to Question 118932 on Abortion: Childbirth, what procedures medical professionals would follow in cases of live birth following attempted termination after 21 weeks and six days of gestation, in circumstances where the parents did not want the baby's life to be saved.

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to Question 118932 on Abortion: Childbirth, what procedures medical professionals would follow in cases of live birth following attempted termination after 21 weeks and six days of gestation, in circumstances where the parents did not want the baby's life to be saved.

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to Question 118932 on Abortion: Childbirth, whether there is a requirement for babies born in cases of live birth following attempted termination of pregnancy in the UK before 21 weeks and six days of gestation to be provided with (a) life-saving treatment and (b) palliative care; and whether his Department has issued guidance on that matter.

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 19 December 2017 to Question 118932 on Abortion: Childbirth, whether there is a requirement for babies born in cases of live birth following attempted termination of pregnancy in the UK before 21 weeks and six days of gestation to be provided with (a) life-saving treatment and (b) palliative care; and whether his Department has issued guidance on that matter.

Helen Whately: Data on how many infants have been born after a failed abortion is not held centrally.As set out in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ guideline on Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality, a fetus born alive after termination for a fetal abnormality is deemed to be a child and must be treated in his or her best interests and managed within published guidance for neonatal practice. A fetus born alive with abnormalities incompatible with long-term survival should be managed to maintain comfort and dignity during terminal care.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has commissioned research on the efficacy of intradermal immunisation in the administration of the covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department has not commissioned any specific research on the efficacy of intradermal immunisation in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his contribution of 19 October 2020, Official report, column 790, what discussions he has had with directors of public health in Tier (a) 2 and (a) 3 covid-19 restriction areas on ensuring that visits to care homes are allowed during periods of increased covid-19 restrictions.

Helen Whately: New visiting arrangements started on 8 March. Every care home should ensure that each resident can nominate one named person who can have regular, indoor visits. Visiting arrangements that have been available throughout the period of national lockdown should continue i.e. using substantial screens, visiting pods, behind windows or outdoors. Visits in exceptional circumstances including end of life should always be supported and enabled.At Step 2 of the roadmap, we will assess the data and take a decision on opening up further opportunities for visiting - setting out a plan for the next phase of visits for people in residential care.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the evidential basis for the decision not to vaccinate (a) school staff and (b) other frontline workers against covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 26 February the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published their interim advice for phase two of the COVID-19 vaccination programme which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-phase-2-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-programme-advice-from-the-jcviThe JCVI has advised that the evidence indicates that certain occupations have a higher risk of exposure and these are more likely to be occupations involving frequent contact with multiple other people in enclosed settings. However, delivery of a programme targeting occupational groups is recognised to be operationally complex given a number of key factors including that robust data on the infection exposure risk for every occupational group, or in every occupational setting, are not available. Regarding school staff specifically, data sources considered by the JCVI suggest that risk of infection among staff in educational settings is comparable with that seen in the general population.We will follow the recommended approach of the JCVI, subject to the final advice given by the independent expert committee. School staff and other frontline workers who are over 50 years old or who have underlying health conditions which make them clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 will be vaccinated in the current first phase, which will be completed by the middle of April.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who are not registered with a GP have received (a) their first covid-19 vaccination and (b) both vaccinations to date.

Nadhim Zahawi: The number of people not registered with a general practitioner who have received their first covid-19 vaccination and both vaccinations is not collected centrally in the format requested.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing access to regular covid-19 testing for a designated relative of a care home resident to enable meaningful social contact with that resident to be safely maintained.

Helen Whately: From 8 March, every care home resident will be able to nominate a single named visitor who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits. These visitors should be tested using supplied rapid lateral flow tests at every visit. Those residents with the highest care needs can nominate an ‘essential care giver’ who will be supported to follow the same testing, personal protective equipment and infection control arrangements as care home staff. Visits in exceptional circumstances including end of life should always be supported and enabled.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including  inclusion of Myalgic encephalomyelitis in the group 6 specified conditions for covid-19 vaccination; and what estimate he has made of the number of people with that condition who have received a covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has not identified any robust data to indicate that, as a group, persons with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue symdrome (ME/CFS) are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19, therefore those under 50 years old are not prioritised for phase one of the programme. Prioritisation for Phase two has not yet been decided, but interim advice has been published by the JVCI recommending an age-based approach, which the Government has accepted in principle subject to final advice. The information on estimates of people with ME/CFS who have received a covid-19 vaccination is not held centrally in the format requested.

Paterson Inquiry

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September 2020 to Question 93695 on the Paterson Inquiry, when his Department plans to publish the formal Government response to the Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson, HC 31, published in February 2020.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that patients treated by Ian Paterson at the hospitals operated by Spire Healthcare have been given ongoing treatment plans appropriate to their health needs, as recommended by the  Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson, HC 31, published in February 2020.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that patients treated by Ian Paterson at the hospitals operated by Spire Healthcare have been given ongoing treatment plans appropriate to their health needs, as recommended by the  Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson, HC 31, published in February 2020.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that hospital boards do not hold back from apologising to patients out of fear of consequences relating to their liability, as recommended by the Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson, HC 31, published in February 2020.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that hospital boards do not hold back from apologising to patients out of fear of consequences relating to their liability, as recommended by the Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Issues raised by Paterson, HC 31, published in February 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We will be providing the Government’s initial response to the Paterson Inquiry shortly, which will update on progress in our consideration of the Report’s recommendations.We have been in regular communication with Spire Healthcare to monitor the progress of its recall. By December 2020 Spire Healthcare had contacted approximately 5,500 known living patients of Ian Paterson for whom they have addresses. Spire Healthcare is currently ensuring that the care of those patients has been fully reviewed, that the outcome of the reviews has been fully communicated to them and that, if required, they are getting the support and care that they need. Additionally, several hundred people have contacted Spire as a result of the letters sent out last year. A proportion of these are having their care reviewed by an independent consultant surgeon and some have been referred for counselling, follow up support or, where clinically appropriate, treatment. Spire Healthcare will continue their review of patients’ care during 2021.The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 introduced a statutory duty of candour. Providers must ensure that they have processes in place to ensure staff are supported to deliver the duty of candour and have a system in place to identify and deal with possible breaches by registered staff. The Care Quality Commission published updated guidance on the duty of candour on 11 March 2021 which has been informed by the recommendation of the Paterson Inquiry about apologising to patients when things go wrong. The updated guidance is available at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/news/stories/updated-guidance-meeting-duty-candour

Mental Illness: Prescription Drugs

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on trends in the level of prescriptions for anti-psychotic medication in care homes since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: The information is not available in the format requested. NHS Digital receives information on the prescribing of antipsychotic medication for people with dementia and without a diagnosis of psychosis. However, it does not include the location of those receiving the prescription and, therefore, cannot identify those in care homes.

Dementia: Health Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to support people with dementia and ensure they have access to care throughout the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: We have commissioned research through the National Institute for Health Research on how to manage or mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia and their carers living in the community. Concise advice based on this research for people with dementia and their carers is available at the following link:http://www.idealproject.org.uk/covid/Guidance for care homes and for carers on how best to support people living with dementia during the pandemic as well as wider advice for unpaid carers has also been made available. In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued guidance to the health service on the adjustments that are needed across the Well Dementia Pathway. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/dementia-wellbeing-in-the-covid-19-pandemic/ Later this year, we plan to bring forward proposals for a new dementia strategy to set out how we will continue to support people living with dementia and their unpaid carers in England for future years.

Organs: Donors

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to promote organ donor registration throughout the nations in which his Department is active.

Helen Whately: NHS Blood and Transplant, which is responsible for promoting organ donation, has well established international links to promote and share best practice. This includes collaboration with organisations such as the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement (ISODP) and the European Society for Organ Transplantation.In October 2019, NHS Blood and Transplant hosted the European Organ Donation Day which was attended by 42 countries. Most recently, on 25 February 2021, NHS Blood and Transplant and the ISODP jointly hosted an international online event to highlight their work to implement the change in consent legislation and promote public awareness and support for organ donation. This was attended by over 800 delegates, including representation from Spain, the Netherlands, India, Australia, Canada and America.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Diagnosis

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuit to the Answer of 24 February 2021 to Question 141963, in what format his Department and NHS England collects data on the average time for a patient with (a) Crohn’s disease and (b) ulcerative colitis to be diagnosed in Harrow East constituency compared to the national average in the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that their current outpatient systems are a generic list of patients waiting without a diagnosis and are measured from a previous appointment to the first outpatient appointment or diagnostic procedure. As a patient may be seen by several consultants before diagnosis, many with differing waiting times, we do not hold specific information on average wait times for people diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.In addition, NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that information is not held at a constituency level as figures are collected working to general practitioner practice boundaries that do not align with constituency boundaries.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the period available to local authorities to apply for the additional drug treatment crime and harm reduction activity grants announced on 20 January 2021.

Jo Churchill: No such assessment has been made. The Department has been allocated £80 million of additional funding for drug treatment for 2021/22 as part of the £148 million drugs and crime package. Public Health England have provided local authorities with information and guidance to support them with their applications.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Land

Jim Shannon: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the church is taking to encourage (a) regenerative agriculture, (b) more treeplanting and (c) good stewardship of hedgerows across its rural estates.

Andrew Selous: The majority of the Church Commissioners rural estate is tenanted via secure long term agreements. Agreements that were drawn up after 1995 often include a combination of clauses which encourage regenerative agriculture and good stewardship of our landholdings, prohibit the removal of topsoil and the spraying and removal of hedgerows, require watercourses to be kept clear and ensure hedges are maintained.The Church Commissioners are currently undertaking a natural capital assessment of our assets, and through this, the Commissioners hope to identify land across our estates that might be suitable for tree planting.

Ministry of Justice

Administrative Law Independent Review

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to publish the report of the Independent Review of Administrative Law on Judicial Review.

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to the report of the Independent Review of Administrative Law on Judicial Review.

Alex Chalk: The Government will publish the report of the Independent Review of Administrative Law alongside its response to the report in due course.

Ministry of Justice: Wakefield

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much revenue has been raised for the public purse through the sale of properties previously owned by his Department in Wakefield in the last five years.

Alex Chalk: Since 1 April 2016, the Ministry of Justice has received a clawback payment of £55,844 in respect of an historic sale of land and sold two properties generating capital receipts of £481,000. A decision was taken, following a public consultation, to close Wakefield Magistrates’ Court in 2016. The reasons for that decision are a matter of public record. In 2017 the MoJ transferred the former Wakefield Magistrates’ Court to Homes England. Homes England sold the property on 16 August 2019 for £207,500.

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Mental Health Services

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons, report on a scrutiny visit to HMYOI Wetherby and the Keppel unit, published on 26 February 2021, what steps he plans to take to implement recommendation S6 in that report.

Alex Chalk: Responsibility for commissioning health services in the secure and detained estate, including at HMYOI Wetherby, lies with NHS England and NHS Improvement. Ensuring that the mental health assessment takes place for any children and young people needing transfer under the Mental Health Act 1983 in the children and young people secure estate is the responsibility of the NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) commissioned provider. In parallel, the Youth Custody Service (YCS) has a responsibility to ensure those in the secure estate receive appropriate care in the right setting, at the right time. It is agreed that if children in secure settings are severely ill and need detention under the Mental Health Act 1983, they should be transferred to hospital in a timely way, particularly due to their additional vulnerability in comparison to adults. NHSE&I will work closely with the National Adolescent Medium Secure Network (AMSN) in ensuring that the transfer and remissions of young people adhere to nationally defined timescales. Ensuring that referral and admissions process remain aligned and that there are appropriate facilities will be central to achieving this. COVID 19 has had an impact on service provision specifically to the workforce and acuity of young people which has impacted on the ability to accept admissions across the AMSN. This has included the increased need for extra care facilities and complex interventions. The majority of transfers of children to hospital from the secure estate, where this is needed, happen smoothly. Delays to transfers are often due to the need for specialist accommodations and appropriate specialist teams to meet the needs of young people presenting with complex needs.More widely the Youth Custody Service is working with the NHSE&I to strengthen the provision of mental health care across the youth estate, to ensure that support and challenge can be directed as needed.

Treasury

Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he had sight of the lists of areas for priority funding from the (a) Levelling Up Fund and (b) UK Community Renewal Fund prior to the publication of those lists.

Kemi Badenoch: On the Levelling Up Fund, Ministers approved metrics at the design stage based on alignment with the policy goals of the Fund. Ministers did not see a list of specific places before agreeing the list of metrics. At no point did Ministers make changes to the index, weightings or metrics recommended by officials.On the Community Renewal Fund, the design of the fund, including the allocation process was led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Free Zones: Minimum Wage

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the national minimum wage will apply in freeports.

Steve Barclay: I can confirm that the national minimum wage will apply in Freeports. Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment will not be compromised. That means businesses in Freeports – like any other business in the UK – will have to adhere to the UK’s high regulatory standards.

Ferries: Isle of Wight

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the Solent Freeport on employment levels at operators of lifeline ferry services to the Isle of Wight.

Steve Barclay: The government is pleased to have announced the locations of 8 new English Freeports at Budget, including Solent. These new Freeports will create jobs in deprived communities across the country.

Treasury: Social Media

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2021 to Question 163250 on Treasury: Social Media, whether his Department has made an estimate of the internal cost of that production in (a) cash terms and (b) time.

Kemi Badenoch: All content for HM Treasury channels is produced by the department’s in-house communications team at no additional cost.

Bank Services: Fraud

Jim Shannon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to require banks to publish their bank transfer scam data.

John Glen: The Government is committed to tackling fraud and ensuring that victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams are protected. The Government therefore welcomed the publication of the Payment Systems Regulator’s (PSR) call for views on APP scams in February 2021. This invited views on a number of potential measures that could deliver a higher level of protection for customers against scams, including requiring individual payment service providers to publish data on scams on a quarterly or six-monthly basis. The Government looks forward to engaging with the outcomes of the PSR's call for views, including considering what further actions may be necessary to make progress on this issue.

Treasury: North of England

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of jobs at the his Department's new economic campus in the North of England are planned to be filled by staff transferring from London; and what the (a) level and (b) range of seniority is of those jobs that are planned to be transferred.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation his Department undertook before Budget 2021 with officials that are to be transferred from London to the new economic campus in the North of England; and whether that consultation is complete.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation his Department undertook before Budget 2021 with officials that are to be transferred from London to the new economic campus in the North of England; and whether that consultation is complete.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for the transference of jobs to the new HMT economic campus in the North of England.

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for the transference of jobs to the new HMT economic campus in the North of England.

Kemi Badenoch: The plan for the Darlington economic campus is to base at least 750 roles from across HM Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Office for National Statistics will be based at the Darlington economic campus. It is the Treasury’s policy that all relocations will be voluntary and, following the announcement the campus will be based in Darlington, we are consulting all Treasury staff on the establishment of the new office, including voluntary relocation. We will be filling roles through both voluntary relocation and direct recruitment and the mixture of the two will be determined through this process. The new office will include a range of roles and levels of seniority, including senior Civil Servants. The Darlington economic campus will have a phased opening and will be fully operational by the end of this Parliament.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Mortgages

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme on the number of self-employed people who have been able to access mortgage offers and approvals during the covid-19 outbreak.

John Glen: Decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgage loans remain commercial decisions for lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions. Although the Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, it does not have investigative or prosecuting powers of its own and is not able to intervene in individual cases. For individuals applying for new credit, it remains important that lenders are able to carry out the proper checks to ensure that these individuals are not lent to in an unaffordable way, especially if for example a borrower’s income has changed as a result of Coronavirus. The Government has announced that the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will continue until September, with a fourth and fifth grant. This provides certainty to business as the economy reopens and means the SEISS continues to be one of the most generous self-employment income COVID-19 support schemes in the world.

Freezing of Assets: Libya

Ian Paisley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 156398 on Freezing of Assets: Libya, how the Libyan frozen assets described in that Answer are divided up into shares, bonds, property, cash, gold and other asset classes; and if he will list the top 10 institutions which manage those funds.

John Glen: Each year OFSI carries out a review of frozen assets held by UK institutions. Anyone who holds frozen assets (including funds and economic resources) is required to report them to OFSI. Economic resources means assets of every kind, whether tangible or intangible, movable or immovable (such as goods, property or rights) which are not funds themselves but which can be used to obtain funds, goods or services. Funds means financial assets and benefits of every kind, including but not limited to: • cash, cheques, claims on money, drafts, money orders and other payment instruments• deposits with financial institutions or other entities, balances on accounts, debts and debt obligations• loans and mortgages• publicly and privately traded securities and debt instruments, including stocks and shares, certificates representing securities, bonds, notes, warrants, debentures and derivatives contracts• interest, dividends or other income on or value accruing from or generated by assets• credit, right of set-off, guarantees, performance bonds or other financial commitments• letters of credit, bills of lading, bills of sale• documents evidencing an interest in funds or financial resources• any other instrument of export-financing The aggregate figure of funds frozen under the Libya regime as at September 2019 was approximately £11.809 billion. However, the Treasury does not break down the return data by category and institution in the manner requested.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Largan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to respond to the enquiry from the hon. Member for High Peak of 14 July 2020, reference RL9065.

John Glen: A response was issued to this correspondence on 1 September 2020.

Debts: Wales

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the level of personal debt due to the covid-19 outbreak in (a) Cynon Valley, (b) Rhondda Cynon Taf and (c) Wales.

John Glen: Data on levels of over-indebtedness in Cynon Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wales was last published in 2018 by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). MaPS is currently completing a review of its measure for need for debt advice and will publish the outcome and latest data later in 2021. The Government has delivered unprecedented support for living standards during this challenging time, protecting livelihoods with the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), and temporary welfare measures. The Government will extend the CJRS for a further five months from May until the end of September 2021. Furloughed workers in the UK will continue to receive 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to £2500 per month. The scheme will be extended on current terms – with no additional employer contributions – until the end of June 2021. The SEISS will also continue until September, with a fourth and a final fifth grant. At Budget 2021, the Government also announced a six-month extension to the temporary £20 per week uplift to the Universal Credit (UC) standard allowance, well beyond the expected end of restrictions and reopening of the economy. The Government has also announced similar support for eligible Working Tax Credit (WTC) claimants. The Government is also maintaining the increase to Local Housing Allowance rates for UC and Housing Benefit in cash terms in 2021-22, an increase which is worth an extra £600 on average in 2020-21 for over 1.5 million households. To help people in problem debt get their finances back on track, an extra £37.8 million support package has been made available to debt advice providers this financial year (2020-21), bringing this year's budget for free debt advice in England to over £100 million. Delivery of debt advice is a devolved matter and this additional funding was matched for the devolved administrations, resulting in an extra combined £5.9 million that was made available to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.   Last year, the Government also announced the immediate release of £65 million dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance, an independent organisation that has been founded to support the financial wellbeing of people in vulnerable circumstances. The funding is used to increase access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services for those in financial difficulties From May, the Breathing Space scheme will offer people in problem debt a pause of up to 60 days on most enforcement action, interest, fees and charges, and will encourage them to seek professional debt advice.

VAT: Africa

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the effect of changes to VAT treatment of overseas goods from African businesses from 1 January 2021 on (a) trade and (b) development.

Jesse Norman: The UK has used its freedom from EU rules to create a fairer and more robust tax system, ensuring a level playing field for the UK high street. The new rules comply with World Trade Organization rules with goods from EU and non-EU suppliers being treated the same for VAT purposes. These changes are consistent with the international direction of travel, with similar models being implemented by Australia, New Zealand and Norway, and soon to be introduced by the EU. Tax is a matter reserved to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and is therefore not subject to the collective approval of Cabinet.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that HMRC applies FCA definitions of financial vulnerability when considering whether to refer customers to its extra support team.

Jesse Norman: HMRC continually review how to identify customers in financial hardship so that it can offer support to them. As part of this work, they work closely with Government departments and other stakeholders, including the debt advice sector, for insights on good practice which they mirror to support customers. The department has trained collectors to identify vulnerable customers who, when identified, are referred to HMRC’s established Extra Support team for assistance. HMRC also work to meet the Financial Conduct Authority’s guidelines where practicable. HMRC are the first Government department to become a referral partner for the Money Adviser Network, a pilot led by the Money and Pensions Service. The partnership helps HMRC test a better way to refer Tax Credits debtors to free and independent debt advice. It is a priority for HMRC to help their customers to access specialist debt advice support that is available to them; as a responsible creditor, HMRC recognise that customer debt worries often extend beyond the debt that they have with the department.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on enabling taxpayers to challenge HMRC discretionary decisions regarding access to time to pay arrangements.

Jesse Norman: HMRC have a very good track record for supporting individuals and viable businesses in genuine short-term financial difficulty and will always work with taxpayers to find the best possible solution. A Time to Pay arrangement is a negotiated agreement that HMRC operates within their statutory obligations to collect tax as quickly as possible. HMRC will always work with taxpayers to find the best possible solution, based on their specific circumstances.

Child Benefit: Pensions

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on ensuring that HMRC notifies people approaching the age threshold to drawn down pensions of their potential liability to incur High Income Child Benefit Charges.

Jesse Norman: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have taken considerable steps to raise awareness of the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). They use a wide array of channels to reach those who may be liable to pay HICBC. This includes sharing information via social media, through third parties such as websites aimed at parents or families, and on GOV.UK. The main landing page on GOV.UK for Self-Assessment guidance highlights HICBC as one of the reasons why someone might need to file a tax return. There is also a prominent message about HICBC on the Child Benefit claim form. In addition, where HMRC hold all the relevant information, they write to parents who may have become liable for HICBC, explaining what they need to do to pay the charge when it is due and avoid penalties. Families can use the calculator at GOV.UK to work out how much tax they may have to pay: www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-calculator.

PAYE: Pensions and Social Security Benefits

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on bringing state pension and benefits within PAYE.

Jesse Norman: The State Pension and other benefits are paid directly to the recipient by DWP and HMRC. The Government has no plans to change this. The tax treatment of social security benefits is based on the type of payment and the reason why it is provided. In general, benefits that are designed to replace income are taxable, including the State Pension, and benefits that meet specific costs are not taxable. It is also important to note that the personal allowance – the amount of income that each individual may receive before paying income tax – is currently set at a level high enough to ensure that those pensioners whose sole income is the new State Pension or basic State Pension do not pay any income tax.

Secondhand Goods: VAT

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing import VAT on second hand goods.

Jesse Norman: The Government is committed to protecting UK high street businesses from VAT-free imports and as such, it is important that it maintains a robust system of VAT collection at the border. Furthermore, VAT makes a significant contribution towards the public finances, and any reduction to import VAT on second-hand goods would have to be balanced by increases in taxes elsewhere, or reductions in Government spending. Therefore, while the Government keeps all taxes under review, there are currently no plans to alter the VAT treatment of imports of second-hand goods.

Rent a Room Scheme: Tax Allowances

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on increasing rent-a-room tax relief in line with RPI on an annual basis.

Jesse Norman: Rent a Room relief has been a feature of the income tax system since 1992. In 2016, the threshold was raised to give an income tax exemption on income of up to £7,500 for individuals who let furnished accommodation in their only or main residence. This aligns with the Government’s objectives of supporting living standards and increasing the availability of low-cost housing. It also reduces and simplifies the tax and administration burden for those affected and has taken some taxpayers out of Self-Assessment entirely. The Government consulted on the scheme in 2018. The response to this showed there to be a consensus that the relief at the current level provides an effective incentive for people to make spare rooms available for rent.In addition, the Government does not have evidence that increasing the Rent a Room threshold above £7,500 would further encourage spare rooms to be made available for rent. At present, the Government believes that the threshold is set at an appropriate level. As with all tax policy, the Government keeps this relief under review.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders in affected sectors on the effect of the 31 October 2020 cut-off date for the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme on (a) employee retention and (b) business costs.

Jesse Norman: The Government has worked extensively with a wide variety of organisations, across sectors and all over the country. This includes businesses, representative and trade bodies, and the unions. At the recent Budget, in response to calls from businesses, the Chancellor announced an extension to the CJRS until the end of September. The OBR expects 1.8 million fewer people to be unemployed than they forecast in July last year because of the CJRS and other Government interventions. The use of Real Time Information (RTI) allows HMRC to verify claims in the most efficient and timely way, ensuring payments can be made quickly while reducing the risk of fraud. The Government has extended the RTI cut-off date to ensure as many businesses as possible are brought into scope, balancing the risk of fraud that existed as soon as the scheme became public. From 1 May, an employer can claim for any employee for whom they have made an RTI submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 2 March 2021, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee.

Hearing Aids: VAT

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making privately purchased hearing aids zero-rated for VAT.

Jesse Norman: The Government maintains a number of VAT reliefs for certain goods and services designed solely for use by disabled people to ensure the reliefs are appropriately targeted. Hearing aids that are not designed solely for use by disabled people do not qualify for VAT relief. However, VAT relief is available for induction loops and aids for the auditory training of deaf children. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at future fiscal events.

Hearing Aids: VAT

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the revenue raised through the application of VAT on hearing aids in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jesse Norman: The details that HM Revenue and Customs collect from taxpayers on their VAT returns are not specific enough to provide an estimate of VAT on hearing aids. In order to minimise the administrative burden on businesses, they are only required to report the total VAT on all their taxable supplies of goods and services in the relevant period. It is therefore not possible to identify the types of supplies on which the VAT was charged.

Free Zones: Wales

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last discussed freeports with the Welsh Government; and what the outcomes were of those discussions.

Steve Barclay: Freeports will allow the UK to take advantage of the benefits of leaving the EU, they will level up the regions by spreading opportunity, and help drive our economic recovery from the impacts of Covid-19. We want to ensure that the whole of the UK can benefit, not just England. We remain in ongoing discussions to establish at least one Freeport in Wales as soon as possible.

Valuation Office Agency: Staff

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff were employed by the Valuation Office Agency in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (c) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020; and how many staff are currently employed by that office.

Jesse Norman: The VOA publish staff numbers in their Annual Reports. Reports from 2016 onwards can be found at: https://bit.ly/3t9cTdg. The VOA publish the latest staff figures in the Workforce Management Information report, which can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-and-voa-workforce-management-information-january-2021.

Free Zones: Coronavirus

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what specific changes have been made to the criteria for assessing freeport bids to take account of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) the economy and (b) employment.

Steve Barclay: Specific locations were chosen in a fair, open and transparent allocation process, as set out in the Bidding Prospectus. The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government will shortly publish the rationale behind the selection of these Freeport locations according to the process laid out in the Prospectus.

Free Zones: Trade Unions

Andy McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether employers within freeports will be required to recognise trades unions for collective bargaining purposes.

Steve Barclay: I can confirm that the same rules and regulations regarding trade unions which apply across the UK will apply within Freeports. Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment will not be compromised. There is no deregulatory agenda in Freeports. Businesses in Freeports – like any other business in the UK – will have to adhere to the UK’s high regulatory standards.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his oral statement of 3 March 2021 to the 2021 Budget, what discussions he has had the Secretary of State for Defence on how the £10m committed to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for veteran’s mental health will be apportioned.

Steve Barclay: The Chancellor is in regular contact with Cabinet colleagues, including the Defence Secretary. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) will design, and run, an open grant competition to award the funding. The Ministry of Defence, the Office of Veterans Affairs (OVA) and HM Treasury attend AFCFT board meetings and will be involved throughout the programme’s design and decision-making.

Welfare Assistance Schemes: Coronavirus

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what long-term support he plans to provide to local welfare assistance schemes in England for which demand has increased as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure the sustainability of local welfare assistance schemes after the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure the sustainability of local welfare assistance schemes after the covid-19 outbreak.

Steve Barclay: Councils have the flexibility to prioritise the funding they receive from the annual Local Government Finance Settlement for local welfare assistance schemes. In 2021-22, the Government will provide an additional £1.55 billion of unringfenced grant funding to local authorities in England to meet additional expenditure pressures as a result of Covid-19. Local authorities can use this funding to meet local needs, including prioritising local welfare assistance schemes.Additionally, the Government will provide £670 million to local authorities in England in recognition of the increased costs of providing local council tax support and other help to economically vulnerable people and households following the pandemic. The funding is unringfenced and can be used to provide other support to vulnerable households, including through local welfare schemes.Addressing future local authority resourcing and stability is a matter for future Spending Reviews and Local Government Finance Settlements.

Pharmacy

Cat Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to support community pharmacies.

Steve Barclay: We recognise the vital role community pharmacies have played throughout the pandemic, and have put in place a comprehensive package of support:We have provided extra funding for Bank Holiday openings, a new medicines delivery service for shielded patients and a contribution to social distancing for every pharmacy.Between April and July 2020, a total of £370 million in increased advance payments were made to support community pharmacies with cash-flow pressures due to Covid-19.Most community pharmacies have been able to access general Covid-19 business support, including business rate relief and Retail, Leisure, Hospitality grants - we estimate community pharmacies have had access to some £82 million in grants.We provide personal protective equipment (PPE) free of charge and reimburse community pharmacies for PPE purchased.The Government has put forward firm proposals for additional funding to meet extra costs incurred by pharmacies during the pandemic, which are under active discussion with the PSNC.We have also provided non-monetary support such as the removal of some administrative tasks, flexibility in opening hours, support through the Pharmacy Quality Scheme for the sector’s response to Covid-19 and the delayed start of new services.

Free Zones: Employment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to encourage renewable energy employers in freeports to commit to (a) re-training and (b) employment programmes for workers from the offshore oil and gas sector.

Steve Barclay: Our focus has been on getting places to send us their bids and proposals, rather than second-guessing what they will do. The government will continue to work with successful bidders to help them achieve their objectives, across a variety of sectors. The government is currently engaging with the oil and gas industry on the North Sea Transition Deal. The Deal is a manifesto commitment and will support jobs and net zero as the industry decarbonises and diversifies to cleaner energies.

Public Sector: Pay

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish (a) a full list of organisations covered by the public sector pay pause and (b) the criteria used to determine which organisations should be covered by that pay pause.

Steve Barclay: The public sector pay pause announced at the Spending Review 2020 covers most of the major public sector workforces; Police, Prison officers, School-teachers, Armed forces, National Crime Agency, Senior Civil Service, Civil Service and Judiciary. Given the unique impact of Covid-19 on the health service, and despite the challenging economic context, the government will continue to provide for pay rises for over 1 million NHS workers. The government will also prioritise the lowest paid, with 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than £24,000 receiving a minimum £250 increase. In order to ensure fairness and consistency of approach, HM Treasuryexpects other public sector employers not covered by the Pay Review Body process or the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance, including public corporations and other employers where there is less central oversight of annual pay awards, to respect and comply with the pay pause. Departments and employers should consult the Office for National Statistics classification guidance to confirm whether they are classified as within the public sector. Pay for Local Government workers and Devolved Administrations is set independently of Central Government and therefore the pause will not directly apply.

Blood: Contamination

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make additional funding available to the Department of Health to enable improvements in the infected blood support schemes.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the announcement in Budget 2021 that lifetime financial support will be provided for survivors of the Thalidomide scandal, whether the Government plans to provide lifetime financial support to the survivors and victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the announcement in Budget 2021 that lifetime financial support will be provided for survivors of the Thalidomide scandal, whether the Government plans to provide lifetime financial support to the survivors and victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

Steve Barclay: The Budget confirmed that the existing health grant for those affected by Thalidomide will continue when the existing funding commitment expires in 2022/23. Infected blood support schemes were established in 2017, following the publication of the Penrose Inquiry, and the government confirmed increased financial support in 2019 for those infected and affected. We will consider any recommendations when the Infected Blood Inquiry reports, including any around financial support.

Business: Valuation

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses are awaiting confirmation of their rateable value so that they can receive a rate demand from their local authority; and how many of those awaiting confirmation received a visit from the Valuation Office Agency in (a) 2019, (b) January to March 2020 and (c) since March 2020.

Jesse Norman: The table below shows the number of cases the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) had outstanding in England at 31 December 2020 for properties that were new or required a split or merger (reconstitution). It also includes the number of property inspections undertaken on any of these outstanding cases. When assessing properties the VOA have access to a variety of information sources, which means it is not always necessary to visit a property to complete a case. The VOA will inspect where they need to gather additional information or confirm facts. The VOA’s systems are property based, rather than occupier based, and therefore the information is by case/property, rather than by business.  OutstandingNew Assessments(1)4,854of which had either a full, partial or external inspection in: Jan 2019 - Dec 2019-Jan 2020 - Mar 2020-Apr 2020 - Dec 202055  Reconstitution(1)5,678of which had either a full, partial or external inspection in: Jan 2019 - Dec 20190Jan 2020 - Mar 2020-Apr 2020 - Dec 202012 (1) New Assessments and Reconstitutions represent all cases of these types in either a Check, Challenge or Assessment Review. For disclosure reasons, numbers above 0 and below 5 are denoted with a ‘-‘. Statistics on all outstanding Checks, Challenges and Assessment Reviews are published on a quarterly basis at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/non-domestic-rating-challenges-and-changes-2017-and-2010-rating-lists-december-2020.

Capital Investment: Tax Allowances

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to make investment in software eligible for the Super Deduction allowance.

Jesse Norman: Budget 2021 announced that from 1 April 2021 until 31 March 2023, companies investing in qualifying new plant and machinery assets will benefit from both the 130% super-deduction and a 50% first-year capital allowance. Expenditure on qualifying plant and machinery capital investments used by a company in the course of a trade can qualify for the relevant first-year allowance, including fibre cables. Software can also qualify for the super-deduction, provided the company makes an election to remove software from the intangible fixed assets regime. Expenditure on the learning and development of staff does not qualify for the super-deduction but is already an allowable expense for tax purposes.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

UK Community Renewal Fund

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2021 to Questions 163173 and 163174, when he plans to publish the methodological note explaining how the 100 priority places were selected for funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Eddie Hughes: At Budget 2021, the UK Government published a prospectus for the UK Community Renewal Fund: an additional £220m funding for 2021/22 to help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022.The UK Community Renewal Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches. It will invest in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.As set out in the prospectus published on 3 March, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density.We are committed to transparency and have published a methodological note on the index used for the Fund: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-community-renewal-fund-prospectus.

Levelling Up Fund: Impact Assessments

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether an equality impact assessment was undertaken for the Levelling Up Fund.

Eddie Hughes: The Levelling Up Fund prospectus sets out the Government’s approach to considering equalities impacts. The prospectus notes that to ensure we are considering the potential impact of funding on individuals with protected characteristics, we will give due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty at key decision points and will seek information from applicants and lead authorities to support this process.

Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department took legal advice on the (a) Levelling Up Fund and (b) Community Renewal Fund.

Eddie Hughes: The prospectuses published at Budget for the Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Fund provide guidance for local areas on how to submit bids for funding for projects starting in 2021-22. This includes guidance on the process for submitting bids, the types of projects eligible for funding and how bids will be assessed.In designing new programmes, it is important to learn lessons and we have worked closely with stakeholders and professionals across Government to understand how we can design funds which meet our priorities and take in to account our legal responsibilities.

Levelling Up Fund and UK Community Renewal Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Accounting Officer produced an assessment of the (a) Community Renewal Fund and (b) Levelling Up Fund.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Accounting Officer produced an assessment for the Levelling Up Fund.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Accounting Officer produced an assessment for the Levelling Up Fund.

Eddie Hughes: The department follows the principles set out in Managing Public Money for all of its policies and programmes.

Levelling Up Fund

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which Ministers in his Department had responsibility for category allocations of the Levelling Up Fund.

Eddie Hughes: As set out in the prospectus published at Budget, the index used for the Levelling Up Fund places areas into category one, two or three based on the local area’s need for economic recovery and growth, improved transport connectivity, and regeneration. We have published the index and further details of the methodology used to calculate the index of places set out in the prospectus: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/levelling-up-fund-additional-documents . This also sets out the steps the departments took to finalise the index.

Towns Fund: Newark

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the Government decided to include Newark on its Towns Fund recipients March 2021 list, published on 3 March 2021.

Eddie Hughes: The Towns Fund is helping level up the country, driving economic regeneration, productivity and growth. In September 2019, we published a list of towns invited to develop proposals for Town Deals. Details of the selection process have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/towns-fund-selection-summary-of-accounting-officer-advice/towns-fund-selection-process-summary-of-accounting-officer-ao-advicehere: .So far, 52 of the 101 towns that had been selected to develop proposals have been offered Town Deals, including Newark and 44 other towns announced by the Chancellor at Budget on 3 March. Proposals from towns are assessed in the order they are submitted and assessment continues for the remaining 49 towns. We expect to make further announcements in due course.

Park Homes: Regulation

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if the Government will make it a priority in the next Session of Parliament to bring forward legislative proposals to simplify and increase the transparency of company structures used by some owners of park home sites to limit a resident’s security of tenure and avoid liability for enforcement action pursuant to the undertakings given in 2018.

Eddie Hughes: The Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents.We will introduce primary legislation to simplify the complex company structures used by some site owners to limit a resident’s security of tenure and avoid liability for any enforcement action when the parliamentary timetable allows.

Buildings: Insulation

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether buildings under 11 metres high with cladding require an External Wall Survey (EWS) assessment.

Christopher Pincher: On 8 March the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) published a new guidance note which outlines when an EWS1 form should be used, which is available at www.rics.org/uk/upholding-professional-standards/sector-standards/valuation/valuation-of-properties-in-multi-storey-multi-occupancy-residential-buildings-with-cladding/ . The EWS1 process is not a Government form or regulatory requirement, and when and whether the process is used will be determined by the policies of individual mortgage and valuation firms.

Planning

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to Chapter 3 of his Department's consultation, National Planning Policy Framework and National Model Design Code: consultation proposals, updated on 8 February 2021 on proposed changes to paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework, what criteria will be used to assess whether local plans and spatial development strategies are sound; and what other statements of national planning policy are referred to in that paragraph.

Christopher Pincher: Plans are 'sound' if they are found by an independent Inspector to have been positively prepared, and justified, and are effective and consistent with national policy. The proposed changes to paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework currently out for consultation, only refers to the section 35 d) of paragraph 35. The purpose of this proposal is to clarify that plans should be consistent with national policies, for example Written Ministerial Statements and other national policies, not just those policies in the Framework at its time of publication. This is a consultation proposal and I would encourage everyone one with a interest in this proposal to respond, the consultation closes at 11.45 pm, Saturday 27 March 2021.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to implement the Government's policy of requiring an electric car charging point at every new home.

Christopher Pincher: I refer my Rt Hon Friend to the answer I gave to PQ UIN 157016 on 1 March 2021

Sanctuary Group and Southern Housing Group

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on housing provision of the proposed merger of Southern Housing and Sanctuary Housing.

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on the proposed merger of Southern Housing and Sanctuary Housing.

Christopher Pincher: Housing associations are independent organisations and Government does not control the way in which they run their businesses. It is for the Board of individual housing associations to carefully consider the merits of such a merger, in consultation with tenants.Registered providers of social housing are required to comply with the regulatory standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing. These include a requirement that private registered providers deliver their aims, objectives and intended outcomes for their tenants in an effective and transparent manner.The Department has received no representations on the proposed merger.

Housing: Insulation

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what provisions are in place for leaseholders who have already paid for the costs of remediating dangerous cladding from their buildings to claim back those costs through the (a) Building Safety Fund or (b) forthcoming loan scheme, announced on 10 February 2021.

Christopher Pincher: The purpose of Government funding is to make homes safer, quicker. The Building Safety Fund does not cover the costs of remediation work on buildings with non-ACM cladding systems that had been committed to, or where work had started on site, prior to the Budget announcement on 11 March 2020. We will be publishing further details on the financing scheme for buildings between 11-18 metres.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Discharges

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information he holds on the number of non-UK born service personnel who have left HM Forces after (a) four, (b) five, (c) six, (d) seven, (e) eight, (f) nine, (g) 10, (h) 11 and (i) 12 years’ service.

Johnny Mercer: The number of UK Regulars1 of non-UK nationality2, who outflowed3 from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, who served from four to 12 years4 is shown in the table below. Number of service personnel who have served:4 Years5 Years6 Years7 Years8 Years9 Years10 Years11 Years12 Years101040302020302020 Caveats/Notes: The question has been interpreted as relating to removal of visa fees for non-UK to settle in the UK on discharge, which doesn't apply to the Irish or other nationalities. Therefore Non-UK Personnel are defined as Commonwealth UK Regular Personnel, Gurkhas and those Nepalese who have transferred out of the Brigade of Gurkhas to serve in the wider Armed Forces. This will differ from the Biannual Diversity Statistics, as it includes Gurkha personnel, and not the full list of Other Foreign RegularsNationality on outlfow as recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. This is not where they were recruited from nor does it filter for non-UK born personnel.Outflow is derived by month-on-month comparisons of strength. These figures include outflow to civil life and outflow to other non-serving and serving parts of the Armed Forces, excluding the UK Regular Forces. Personnel flowing from the Trained to the Untrained Strengths are not captured in this table.Length of service has been calculated using entry date. There are known problems with the entry date information extracted from Joint Personnel Administration (JPA). If personnel have transferred from Service to another service, have served under an alternative assignment type (e.g. Reserve Forces), are re-entrants or have transferred from Other Ranks to Officers, their entry date may correspond to any of these events. The resulting LoS may reflect their current period of service, include previous service, or it may be the time that has elapsed since they first joined the Armed Forces, irrespective of any break in service. It will invariably include time spent on untrained strength. Length of Service (Years) is calculated as full years of service completed on outflow.LOS on outflow can be affected by the relative size of intake in previous years, particularly in small populations.Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. This data is for the most recent financial year of 1 April 2019, to 30 March 2020.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of service was for personnel leaving the armed forces who were recruited from the Commonwealth, by branch, in each of the last five years.

Johnny Mercer: The average Length of Service1 for UK Regular2 personnel with Commonwealth nationality3, by branch, who outflowed4 in each of the last five years is shown in the table below: ServiceAverage length of service (1st April - 31st March) (Years) 2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/20RN/RM78865Army87787RAF881296  Caveats/Notes:Length of service has been calculated using entry date. There are known problems with the entry date information extracted from Joint Personnel Administration (JPA). If personnel have transferred from one Service to another Service, have served under an alternative assignment type (e.g. Reserve Forces), are re-entrants or have transferred from Other Ranks to Officers, their entry date may correspond to any of these events. The resulting LoS may reflect their current period of service, include previous service, or it may be the time that has elapsed since they first joined the Armed Forces, irrespective of any break in service. It will invariably include time spent on untrained strength. Length of Service (Years) is calculated as full years of service completed on outflow. LOS on outflow can be affected by the relative size of intake in previous years, particularly in small populations, therefore the average LOS can vary due to past intake.UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnelThe Commonwealth grouping includes all personnel with a nationality, as recorded on JPA at the time of publication, that is reported in the British Nationality Act 1981, SCHEDULE 3 (Countries Whose Citizens are Commonwealth Citizens), further information of which is available at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/schedule/3. On the 12th November 2015, under the British Nationality (The Gambia) Order 2015, the Gambia was omitted from the Commonwealth. Figures relating to personnel with a nationality, as recorded on JPA, of Gambian are still included in the Irish and Commonwealth grouping. For further information see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1771/contents/madeOutflow is derived by month-on-month comparisons of strength. These figures include outflow to civil life and outflow to other non-serving and serving parts of the Armed Forces, excluding the UK Regular Forces. Personnel flowing from the Trained to the Untrained Strengths are not captured in this table.Army would normally only provide Direct Entry (DE) Officer figures for Length of Service (LOS) queries, however the above Officer figures include both Direct (DE) and Late (LE) Entry personnel. DE and LE Officers have different career paths. The inclusion of LE in the overall figure could mean in theory that the average LOS for those Officers at rank of Lt Col and below is lower than if analysing DE only. The LOS for LE Officers has known data quality issues as the fields from which we draw our data are inconsistent and sometimes reflects the Officer only LOS and sometime both the Soldier and Officer LOS combined.

Army: Officers

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many trained officers the Army has as at 9 March 2021.

James Heappey: As at 1 January 2021, the Trade Trained Regular Officer Strength was 12,260.Armed Forces Personnel statistics are published quarterly and can be found at gov.uk at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2021Figures have been rounded to 10 for presentational purposes.

Army: Officers

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officers in the army are of one-star rank or higher.

James Heappey: As at 1 January 2021, there were 220 officers of rank OF6 and above.Notes/Caveats:The above figures are for Trade Trained Regular Officers only.Figures have been rounded to 10 for presentational purposes.OF6 is one-star rank.

Astute Class Submarines

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government remains committed to delivering the seven Astute-class vessels by the end of 2026.

Jeremy Quin: Yes, we remain committed to delivering all seven Astute Class submarines by the end of 2026.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of service was for officers leaving the armed forces, by branch, in each of the last five years.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of service was for non-officer ranks leaving the armed forces, by branch, in each of the last five years.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of service was for non-officer ranks leaving the armed forces, by branch, in each of the last five years.

Johnny Mercer: The requested information is provided in the following table:  Average Length of Service (years) for UK Regulars leaving the UK Armed Forces by Service, Rank and Financial Year (FY) YearsFY15/16FY16/17FY17/18FY18/19FY19/20All Services109101010Officer1717181718Rank98999RN/RM109101010Officer1717171717Rank98998Army98899Officer1616171717Rank87788RAF1515151415Officer1919201920Rank1513141414   Table notes: Length of service has been calculated using entry date. There are known problems with the entry date information extracted from the Joint Personnel Administration system. If personnel have transferred from one Service to another Service, have served under an alternative assignment type (e.g. Reserve Forces), are re-entrants or have transferred from Other Ranks to Officers, their entry date may correspond to any of these events. The resulting length of service (LOS) may reflect their current period of service, include previous service, or it may be the time that has elapsed since they first joined the Armed Forces, irrespective of any break in service. It will invariably include time spent on untrained strength.UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Figures include trained and untrained personnel.Outflow is derived by month-on-month comparisons of strength. These figures include outflow to civil life and outflow to other non-serving and serving parts of the Armed Forces, excluding the UK Regular Forces. Personnel flowing from the Trained to the Untrained Strengths are not captured in this table.Figures for Officers include both Direct Entry (DE) and Late Entry (LE) personnel. DE and LE Officers have different career paths. For the Army (only), the LOS for LE Officers has known data quality issues as the fields from which data is drawn are inconsistent and sometimes reflects the Officer only LOS and sometimes both the Soldier and Officer LOS combined. This means that the inclusion of LE in the overall figure for Army Officers could result in the average LOS for those Officers at rank of Lt Col and below as appearing lower than if analysing DE only.

Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many serving personnel have accessed treatment at the Defence National Rehab Centre since the opening of that centre.

Johnny Mercer: The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) relocated from Headley Court to the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate in 2018. Between 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2020, the period for which figures are available, 3,719 UK Armed Forces personnel attended at least one appointment at the DMRC. This includes both inpatients and outpatients.

Department for Work and Pensions

Health and Safety Executive: Inspections

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many regulatory interventions recorded by the Health and Safety Executive in relation to the covid-19 outbreak there were by each class of reason in each month since March 2020.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health and Safety Executive: Inspections

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many regulatory interventions in relation to the covid-19 outbreak have been conducted (a) as a result of a site visit and (b) without a site visit in each month since March 2020.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health and Safety Executive: Inspections

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many amber /red covid-19 concerns dealt with by Health and Safety Executive regulatory staff have resulted in (a) formal written advice and (b) enforcement in each month since March 2020.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health and Safety Executive: Inspections

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many amber /red covid-19 concerns dealt with by Health and Safety Executive regulatory staff have been handled by (a) visiting officers, (b) regulatory contact officers and (c) inspectors in each month since March 2020.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Free Zones: Pensions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on pension rights for (a) new and (b) existing workers employed within a freeport.

Guy Opperman: Freeports do not change the existing laws on occupational pensions and automatic enrolment.

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employer applications to the Kickstart programme her Department has received from each English region in the past 12 months.

Mims Davies: We are currently unable to break applications down by region. An employer can make multiple applications and, at the application stage, provide their registered address rather than the location of the jobs being applied for. We are able to provide this information for jobs that are available for young people to apply to. Figures for 25th of February show over 30,000 have been made available for young people to apply to, including the almost 4,000 jobs that had started at that time. Below is a table showing this information split by region. Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. RegionNumber of jobs made available for young people to apply toEast Midlands2600East of England2670London5790North East1400North West4410South East3800South West2320West Midlands3030Yorkshire and The Humber2720These numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Jobs made available for young people to apply to includes 1,000 non-grant funded jobs.

Public Expenditure: Debt and Poverty

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of Budget 2021 on levels of (a) poverty and (b) household debt; and if she will publish that assessment.

Will Quince: No such assessment has been made. This Government champions the principle of work as the best route out of poverty and towards financial independence. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risk of poverty and is underpinned by our Plan for Jobs which will support economic recovery through new schemes including the Kickstart Scheme, the Restart Scheme and our Job Entry Targeted Support Scheme. We are also on track to fulfil our commitment to recruit 13,500 Work Coaches this financial year. Through our Jobcentre network, these Work Coaches will provide our claimants with the tailored support they need to move into work.

Universal Credit: Coronavirus

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment he has undertaken on the potential effect of removing the uplift in universal credit on (a) elderly people, (b) disabled people and (c) single parents.

Will Quince: Since the start of the pandemic, the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and people’s livelihoods. That is why the Chancellor announced an extension to the temporary £20 a week increase in Universal Credit for a further six months, taking it well beyond the end of this national lockdown.

Jobcentres: Hong Kong

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance she has issued to jobcentres to ensure that people coming to the UK from Hong Kong under (a) the BN(O) and (b) other visa schemes are able to secure training and education opportunities using qualifications obtained in Hong Kong.

Justin Tomlinson: BN(O) entering the UK will have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) as stipulated by their visa conditions. A change is being made to Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas) which will allow those on the British National (Overseas) route to apply to vary their conditions to have their no recourse to public funds condition lifted where they are able to demonstrate they are destitute or at imminent risk of destitution. The Department for Work and Pensions will continue to work closely with Home Office and OGDs to ensure of the smooth integration of BN(O)s who choose to settle into the UK. The UK European Network Information Centre (UK ENIC, and formerly UK NARIC) provides expert advice on behalf of the UK Government on the comparability of international qualifications, including those from Hong Kong to UK qualifications. UK Higher Education Institutions and other educational institutions use the ENIC database to assess the qualifications of applicants for their courses. Further information on specific provisions across the four nations of the UK will be set out in due course.

Kickstart Scheme: Coronavirus

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility to people over the age of 24 years old to the Kickstart Scheme as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Mims Davies: There are no current plans to extend the scheme outside of the 16-24 age group, but we will keep this under review.

Members: Kickstart Scheme

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to facilitate the participation of hon. Members in the Kickstart scheme.

Mims Davies: Officials have held discussions with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and other government departments in relation to Kickstart jobs being made available in government and Parliamentary offices. We welcome applications from any interested employer, and encourage MPs to speak with their local Job Centre Plus and to read the advice and guidance on the Kickstart gov.uk pages.

Employment: Young People

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support the Government is providing to help create employment opportunities for people aged 16-24 who are not in employment, education or training but do not claim universal credit.

Mims Davies: DWP is leading cross-government collaboration to identify and promote opportunities in sectors with immediate or growing demand for jobs, including for Young People. DWP launched the Job Help website in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which offers job search advice, showcases recruiting sectors and signposts to job vacancies to help people successfully find work. In addition, the package of support put in place by this Government, including the furlough scheme, has protected many jobs during the pandemic, including for young people. This Government’s Plan for Jobs is delivering a comprehensive package of support for young people, which DWP is providing in collaboration with the Department for Education, schools and other partners. This means that whatever their needs, young people can find the right support, education or training that will ultimately lead to sustained employment. DWP is committed to providing targeted support for young people, including those who are still claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance. This support offer involves basic skills training, traineeships, apprenticeships, work experience and Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs). For young people not accessing benefits, the DWP Youth Offer includes Youth Hubs co-located and co-delivered with our network of external partners to offer a range of skills and work related services to help young people access the labour market. Some Youth Hubs will offer a drop-in service for all young people (subject to location capacity), at which point they will be offered advice and signposting to opportunities. In addition, DWP Support for Schools is a demand-led programme for young people aged 12-18 at risk of becoming NEET or might face disadvantages when looking for work. It facilitates school-to-work transition, training and further study for young people better suited to vocational qualifications, such as traineeships or apprenticeships, instead of a traditional degree, to help them fulfil their career ambitions.The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will be introduced in 2022 and a portion of the Fund will be targeted to people most in need through bespoke employment and skills programmes that are tailored to local need. This will support improved employment outcomes for those who face labour market barriers, including Young People. To help local areas prepare for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022, the Government is providing an additional £220m funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund (UKCRF). This Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and innovative new approaches, and will invest in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

Unemployment: Redbridge

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people are unemployed in (a) Ilford North constituency and (b) the London Borough of Redbridge as at 9 March 2021.

Mims Davies: The information requested is published and available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp  Guidance for users can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

Kickstart Scheme: Small Businesses

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many small businesses have benefited from the Kickstart scheme to date.

Mims Davies: As of the 4th March 2021, there have been over 900 unique gateway applications approved and 1,000 unique employer bids accepted on the Kickstart Scheme. We are unable to provide the number of small businesses that have benefitted from the Kickstart Scheme at present as many of these SME’s will have applied through a Gateway organisation. We have responded to feedback to make the scheme as accessible as possible for small businesses, most recently removing the 30 threshold for the number of jobs to make a direct application.

Kickstart Scheme: Redbridge

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people have participated in the Kickstart scheme in (a) Ilford North constituency and (b) the London Borough of Redbridge.

Mims Davies: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given for PQ157063. We are currently unable to publish data below the regional level.

Personal Independence Payment: Contracts

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what criteria her Department based its decision to award the contract for assessing personal independence payment claimants to (a) Capita and (b) Independent Assessment Services.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department for Work and Pensions awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contracts in 2012. Each contract was awarded to the supplier offering the most economically advantageous tender for each contract Lot (geographical area), using an open fair and transparent evaluation methodology. The Department used the following evaluation criteria for all contracts: 60% Quality Assessment30% Finance Assessment10% Risk Assessment Capita Business Services Ltd were awarded the Lot 2 contract, covering Central England and Wales. Atos IT Services UK Ltd (now trading as Independent Assessment Services) were awarded the Lot 1 contract, covering North East England, North West England & Scotland and Lot 3 contract, covering London and Southern England.

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on encouraging employers to participate in the Kickstart programme.

Mims Davies: Ministers and officials from the Department for Work and Pension’s engage across government regularly to promote the Kickstart Scheme to encourage employers and organisations to participate in Kickstart

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2020 to Question 82265 on Developing Countries: Coronavirus, how many workers have been directly supported under the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility across UK supply chains.

James Duddridge: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on both UK businesses and workers within their global supply chains. That is why FCDO established the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility, helping businesses recover from and remain resilient to the economic and social impact of the pandemic. The Facility operates in the garments and agriculture sectors, as analysis shows that both have suffered from drops in demand with resulting job vulnerability, alongside the health risks of COVID-19 to large numbers of workers across Africa and Asia.Launched in August 2020, the Facility is already delivering impact. 206,000 workers have received critical cash transfers, health services, PPE, COVID-19 prevention and training to build resilience and rights awareness. The Facility seeks to improve the lives of nearly 1 million people in developing countries through partnerships with businesses, helping to addressing the impact of COVID-19.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility in supporting workers in the Global South.

James Duddridge: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on both UK businesses and workers within their global supply chains. That is why FCDO established the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility, helping businesses recover from and remain resilient to the economic and social impact of the pandemic. The Facility operates in the garments and agriculture sectors, as analysis shows that both have suffered from drops in demand with resulting job vulnerability, alongside the health risks of COVID-19 to large numbers of workers across Africa and Asia.Launched in August 2020, the Facility is already delivering impact. 206,000 workers have received critical cash transfers, health services, PPE, COVID-19 prevention and training to build resilience and rights awareness. The Facility seeks to improve the lives of nearly 1 million people in developing countries through partnerships with businesses, helping to addressing the impact of COVID-19.

West Bank: Demolition

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to end demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures and prevent forcible transfer of Palestinian communities, such as the Bedouin village of Humsa-Al Bqai’a in Area C of the West Bank.

James Cleverly: The UK urged the Government of Israel to end demolitions of property in the West Bank at the UN Security council on 25 February 2021. On the same day, The British Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised ongoing demolitions with the Israeli Authorities in a meeting alongside like-minded partners. I [Minister Cleverly] publicly called on Israel to stop demolitions on 5 February 2021. Officials from the British Consulate General Jerusalem make regular visits to areas at risk of demolition, and visited Humsa Al-Baqai'a on 6 November 2020 to reiterate UK support for the community.

Gulf Strategy Fund

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2020 to Question 11408, on what date the Government plans to publish the Programme Summary of the Gulf Strategy Fund; and whether a copy of that document will be placed in the Library.

James Cleverly: We will publish a Programme Summary for the Gulf Strategy Fund for 2020/21 in March 2021 through the Cabinet Office's designated cross-Whitehall Transparency window, along with summaries for the other FCDO International Programme Fund programmes. This is in line with the timetable for publication of programme documents for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office using the Cabinet Office Transparency gridslot. The document will be publicly available on .gov.uk.

West Bank: Demolition

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take in response to Israeli demolitions of Palestinian infrastructure and continued settlement expansion in the West Bank by Israel.

James Cleverly: The UK urged the Government of Israel to end demolitions of property in the West Bank at the UN Security council on 25 February 2021. On the same day, The British Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised ongoing demolitions with the Israeli Authorities in a meeting alongside like-minded partners. I publicly called on Israel to stop demolitions on 5 February 2021. Officials from the British Consulate General Jerusalem make regular visits to areas at risk of demolition, and visited Humsa Al-Baqai'a on 6 November 2020 to reiterate UK support for the community.

Special Representative on UK Victims of Gaddafi-sponsored IRA Terrorism

Simon Hoare: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on (a) what date and (b) for what reason he decided to begin referring to the report on Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism produced by William Shawcross as an internal scoping paper.

James Cleverly: Mr Shawcross was commissioned in 2019 to produce an internal scoping report on the issue of compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism.

National Crime Agency

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement he has had with his international counterparts on the international work of the National Crime Agency.

James Cleverly: The FCDO is committed to supporting the international work of the National Crime Agency (NCA) both through ministerial engagement and the work conducted at diplomatic posts overseas to enhance cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies.As the UK Government lead for serious and organised crime and the NCA, the Home Secretary leads on international engagement of this kind. However, other UK Government Ministers also engage with international counterparts on the work of the NCA when appropriate, encouraging further cooperation to tackle shared threats and promote shared interests. It is clear from HMG's international engagement that the work of the NCA is highly valued across the world.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the release of prisoners of conscience including the 73-year-old leader of the political opposition, Hassan Mushaima.

James Cleverly: We continue to monitor and raise the case of Hassan Mushaima, as necessary, at senior levels with the Bahraini Government. The UK continues to engage with the Government of Bahrain to support its reform agenda, and to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2020 to Question 82265 on Developing Countries: Coronavirus, if he will make an estimate of the number of workers in UK supply chains that would not have received support from UK retailers and wholesalers equivalent to that support provided under the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility in the event that that Facility had not been introduced.

James Duddridge: COVID-19 has had a significant impact on both UK businesses and workers within their global supply chains. That is why FCDO established the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility, helping businesses recover from and remain resilient to the economic and social impact of the pandemic. The Facility operates in the garments and agriculture sectors, as analysis shows that both have suffered from drops in demand with resulting job vulnerability, alongside the health risks of COVID-19 to large numbers of workers across Africa and Asia. Launched in August 2020, the Facility is already delivering impact. 206,000 workers have received critical cash transfers, health services, PPE, COVID-19 prevention and training to build resilience and rights awareness. The Facility seeks to improve the lives of nearly 1 million people in developing countries through partnerships with businesses, helping to addressing the impact of COVID-19.

Iraq: Kurds

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with Iraqi officials on the free speech of journalists working in the Erbil region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

James Cleverly: We condemn acts of intimidation against journalists and media organisations, and the suppression of information including the internet. I have raised my concerns over restrictions on media freedom in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani. In the last few weeks, our Ambassador in Baghdad, and our Consul General in Erbil, has also discussed these issues with their interlocutors in the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Africa: Overseas Aid

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what conflict risk assessment he has undertaken in relation to proposed UK cuts to aid in (a) Nigeria, (b) South Sudan, (c) Somalia and (d) the Sahel region.

James Duddridge: As announced last year, the impact of the global pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take the tough but necessary decision to temporarily reduce how much we spend on Official Development Assistance (ODA).The Foreign Secretary has set out seven core priorities for the UK's aid budget, including resolving conflict. We are now working through the implications of these changes for individual programmes. No decisions have yet been made on individual budget allocations.

West Bank: Demolition

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the demolition of the Musa family home in Al Khader.

James Cleverly: Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised ongoing demolitions with the Israeli Authorities, in a meeting alongside like-minded partners on 25 February. I called on Israel to stop demolitions on 5 February 2021 and raised my concerns about demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures with the Israeli Ambassador on 29 October 2020. UK officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem have made regular visits to areas at risk of demolition and eviction to reiterate UK support for those communities. The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process.

Electronic Warfare: International Cooperation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement his Department has had with international partners on cyber-espionage; and what international partnerships his Department has entered into to help tackle cyber-espionage practices.

James Cleverly: We engage continuously with international partners on all aspects of cyber policy and security to protect and uphold a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace. This happens in a range of settings and fora including the UN, NATO, OSCE and with the EU, and in smaller groups, particularly 'Five Eyes' partners. We also regularly raise issues of cyber policy and security through our cross-Government Cyber dialogues with 30 countries and globally through our growing network of 20+ cyber experts across six continents.Malicious actors, both State and non-State, conduct activity that harms UK interests or those of our allies. We work closely with allies to deter, mitigate and respond to malicious cyber activity including by raising awareness, attributing attacks and sanctioning those responsible.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) assessment he has made of the potential merits of repaying the UK's historical debt to Iran and (b) timescale he has for the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

James Cleverly: We are using every tool in our diplomatic arsenal to secure the immediate and permanent release of arbitrarily detained dual British nationals in Iran. We continue to raise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case at the most senior levels in the Iranian Government. The FCDO remains in regular contact with both Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family, and we continue to provide them with all support possible.We welcome the removal of Nazanin's ankle tag, but Iran's continued treatment of her is intolerable. She must be allowed to return to the UK as soon as possible to be reunited with her family.On IMS, we continue to explore options to resolve this 40-year old case.

Religious Freedom

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department promotes religious freedom throughout the world.

Nigel Adams: The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. Ministers and officials regularly raise specific cases of concern, and discuss practices and laws that discriminate on the basis of religion or belief.In 2019, the Bishop of Truro released a report commissioned by the then Foreign Secretary looking into the then FCO support for persecuted Christians, with recommendations to improve the lives of people persecuted for their religion, faith or belief. Of the 22 recommendations, we have fully delivered ten, made good progress on a further eight, and we are confident that all 22 will be delivered by the time of the independent review in 2022. The Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon underlined the UK's commitment to FoRB for all in a number of international meetings in November 2020, speaking at the Ministerial to Advance FoRB and the Ministers' Forum of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance ('Alliance'). On 20 December 2020, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to FoRB by appointing Fiona Bruce MP as his Special Envoy for FoRB. Mrs Bruce represents the UK at meetings of the Alliance who work to advocate for the rights of individuals being discriminated against or persecuted for their faith or belief.

Myanmar: Human Rights

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the alleged human rights abuses carried out by members of the military in Myanmar following the Military coup; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that these allegations are investigated and sanctions brought against those found responsible.

Nigel Adams: The UK is deeply concerned by ongoing human rights violations in Myanmar. We have been clear that the state of emergency, and all restrictions on rights and freedoms, should be lifted immediately. The people's right to peaceful protest should be respected. The coup must end. We urge the military to exercise utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law. The military must be held accountable for their actions.I formally summoned the Myanmar Ambassador twice to register the UK's extreme concern regarding the alleged human rights abuses and stressed that the security forces must exercise restraint and not use deadly violence against peaceful protestors.The UK continues to lead international efforts in pursuing those responsible for the serious human rights violations in Myanmar. Working with partners, including the US and Canada, we have sanctioned 9 military officers, including the Commander-in-Chief, for their role in the coup. This includes cabinet ministers and members of the State Administration Council, established to run the functions of state following the coup. We are exploring options for further sanctions and are working with partners to ensure any sanctions are sufficiently targeted and do not impact the wider population.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Food Aid

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed UK aid reductions on the ability of multilateral agencies to respond to famine risk in Sub-Saharan Africa in the next twelve months.

James Duddridge: The Foreign Secretary has clearly reiterated our commitment to global humanitarian leadership, including in statements to the House of Commons in February. The majority of our humanitarian spend goes through UN agencies. Working through and with multilateral agencies such as the UN is particularly important for access in conflict affected countries where many of the most vulnerable and at risk live. The most protracted, severe food insecure crises are caused by conflict at their root. We need to couple available resources with humanitarian diplomacy, as exemplified by the UK's Famine Call to Action and the appointment of Nick Dyer as the UK's first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs ensuring humanitarian access to affected populations and protection of civilians in conflict. If we achieve these two things we will go a long way to averting famine and the worst of human suffering in crisis.

Occupied Territories: International Criminal Court

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 154989, on Occupied Territories: International Criminal Court, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on that ruling.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 154987 on Occupied Territories: International Criminal Court, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the ICC’s decision to open an investigation into alleged crimes committed in Palestine since 13 June 201.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 154987 on Occupied Territories: International Criminal Court, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the ICC’s decision to open an investigation into alleged crimes committed in Palestine since 13 June 201.

James Cleverly: We respect the independence of the ICC, and we expect it to exercise due prosecutorial and judicial discipline. UK officials are in regular contact with US and Israeli authorities on a range of issues.

Iran: Armed Conflict

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of recent reports of rocket attacks on the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq's Anbar Provence.

James Cleverly: Reports indicate that approximately ten rockets were fired at the Ain al-Asad airbase at around 07:30 local time on 3 March. The UK condemns the attack on Iraqi and Coalition forces hosted at Ain al-Asad. These terrorist attacks undermine the fight against Daesh, destabilise Iraq and must stop immediately. Coalition forces are in Iraq to fight Daesh at the invitation of the Iraqi government. We continue to closely monitor the security situation in Iraq, and are regularly engaging with the Government of Iraq and international partners in order to support stability in Iraq and the wider region.

Terrorism: International Cooperation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement he has had with his  international counterparts on the threat of global terrorism.

James Cleverly: Sadly, we are all too familiar with the devastating impact that terrorist attacks can have on our streets and ensuring the safety and security of the UK, and the UK's interest overseas is a priority for the government. The Foreign Secretary discusses the threat of global terrorism with his international counterparts when appropriate to do so. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to work with international partners, including through its global Counter Terrorism and Extremism Network, engaging on a wide range of issues to counter the threat and keep the British people safe.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Food Aid

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the number of people at risk of famine or severe food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 12 months.

James Duddridge: The combined impact of the coronavirus pandemic, conflict, locust swarms and climate change have left millions of people worldwide facing extreme hunger over the past year. In sub-Saharan Africa 95.5 million people are projected to reach crisis levels of food insecurity by the middle of 2021. The risk of famine is real. Famine is likely already occurring in western Pibor, South Sudan whilst Burkina Faso and north-east Nigeria also face a credible threat of famine. The UK has responded to this threat by launching our Famine Initiative, pledging £180 million dedicated to tackling food insecurity and to provide aid to more than 7 million vulnerable people in some of the world’s most dangerous places. The first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention has been appointed to drive UK efforts to prevent the immediate risk of famine and address mounting acute food insecurity through mobilising the international community to take strong, concerted and urgent action.

Africa: Overseas Aid

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat on proposed UK aid reductions to Commonwealth countries in Africa in advance of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali later in 2021.

James Duddridge: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers are currently working with department officials to finalise ODA budget allocations for the next financial year, guided by the seven strategic priorities. Final decisions have not yet been made, including on individual programmes.The FCDO is in frequent contact with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the full breadth of issues of relevance to Commonwealth member states.

Rwanda: Political Prisoners

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made any representations to the Government of Rwanda on the arrest of Idamange Yvonne and Innocent Bahati.

James Duddridge: The UK Government is aware that Idamange Yvonne was arrested on 15 February and remains in detention in Rwanda. We are monitoring her case closely, including observing proceedings at her court hearings. We are also aware of reports of the disappearance of Innocent Bahati, who remains missing, in February. Through the British High Commission in Kigali, the UK Government is following developments. We call on the Government of Rwanda to ensure that due process is followed for all those in detention. We continue to urge Rwanda to uphold and champion Commonwealth values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights, and to recognise that civil society and opposition figures must be able to operate freely in Rwanda, holding the Government to account and contributing to the debate on how the country should be governed.

Equatorial Guinea: Explosions

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support he has provided to the Government of Equatorial Guinea following the recent explosions linked to a munitions depot.

James Duddridge: On 8 March I [Minister Duddridge] publicly expressed the UK's sorrow and passed on condolences to the people of Equatorial Guinea following the tragic explosions in Bata. FCDO officials are in close contact with UK-funded partners including the Red Cross and the UN who are assessing the situation and providing support to those affected. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK’s Instrument of Acceptance dated 31 March 1995 in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) under Article XVII of the Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has lapsed; whether membership under that Instrument is dependent on BIOT being an Indian Ocean coastal State.

Nigel Adams: The United Kingdom deposited instruments of acceptance to the IOTC Agreement on 31st March 1995 and 22nd December 2020 and has been a party to the Agreement since it entered into force. Both instruments remain extant. The Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission provides that IOTC membership shall be open, inter alia, to FAO members that are situated wholly or partly within the IOTC's Area of Competence. As BIOT is situated wholly within the IOTC's Area of Competence, the United Kingdom, as the State with sovereignty over BIOT as aforementioned, is entitled to be a member of IOTC.

Commonwealth: International Cooperation and Trade

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase (a) trade and (b) cooperation with all Commonwealth countries.

Nigel Adams: The UK is committed to working with our friends and allies across the Commonwealth to remove barriers to free and fair trade and liberalise the global trading environment, supporting a modern approach to trade. At CHOGM18, Leader's agreed the ambition of increasing intra-Commonwealth trade and investment to US$2 trillion by 2030; and adopted a declaration on the Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment. Six member states now lead cooperation on: physical, digital, regulatory, business-to-business, and supply side connectivity, all with the goal of increasing the inclusivity and sustainability of trade.We remain committed to helping developing countries reduce poverty through trade. Through UK-funding to the Commonwealth Standards Network, since 2018, we have supported 50 of the Commonwealth's 54 members to tackle non-tariff trade barriers by increasing awareness and adoption of international standards. Through a range of training and capacity building opportunities, SheTrades Commonwealth has been helping women-owned businesses build strong brands, develop export strategies and grow their client bases.In the Commonwealth Statement on the COVID-19 pandemic, issued in July 2020 and initiated by the UK, Heads' recommitted to working transparently and constructively within the Commonwealth family and with our international partners to address COVID-19 and its impacts, build resilience, particularly for developing economies and the most vulnerable countries , and ensure no one is left behind. They also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the core values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter, committed to work in the spirit of global cooperation, unity and solidarity to protect the health of all our citizens, and restated their commitment to the multilateral trading system and a free fair, inclusive, predictable and stable trade and investment environment.

China: BBC

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reverse the decision taken by China to ban the broadcast of BBC World News in that country.

Nigel Adams: As the Foreign Secretary has made clear, China's decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom and will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world. We have made representations on this matter directly with the Government of China, urging them to reverse their decision, whilst also underlining broader concerns about the lack of media freedoms in China.

International Criminal Court

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take in response to the February 2021 International Criminal Court ruling that it has jurisdiction over the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

James Cleverly: We respect the independence of the ICC, and we expect it to exercise due prosecutorial and judicial discipline.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on maternal and child health services in developing countries; and what steps he is taken to help mitigate that effect.

Wendy Morton: The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to put pressure on essential services, resulting in disruptions with significant impacts for maternal and child health services in developing countries. For example in a World Health Organisation (WHO) country survey, 56% of responding countries reported disruption to antenatal care services.The UK Government remains committed to supporting child, newborn and maternal health interventions as part of our manifesto commitment to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030. Globally we are working with agencies such as the WHO, GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Financing Facility to support governments to maintain health systems in affected countries, provide technical assistance and immunise children.

Ukraine: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the deployment by the Russian Federation of covid-19 vaccines in the occupied areas of Ukraine.

Wendy Morton: We are deeply concerned by reports that Russia is distributing COVID-19 vaccines in illegally annexed Crimea and non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities. The UK steadfastly supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine's democratically elected government should be responsible for developing and implementing a vaccination programme for everyone living in Ukraine. We oppose any action by Russia which violates this principle.The UK continues to provide support to Ukraine in our shared struggle against COVID-19. We are working with civil society organisations to enhance oversight of COVID-19 procurement, ensuring that public funds are used to maximum effect to secure PPE, medicines, and now vaccines. We are also providing funding to the World Health Organisation to train the mobile teams who will be administering vaccines in Ukraine.In support of global equitable access to vaccines, the UK has committed £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, making us one of its largest bilateral donors. Our commitment will contribute to the supply of at least 1.3 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 for up to 92 low and lower middle-income countries, including Ukraine.

Columbia: Overseas Aid

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much financial assistance the UK Government has offered to the Colombian Government to help tackle illicit drugs in that country.

Wendy Morton: Between April 2015 and March 2020, HMG spent £11,785,400 on Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programming covering Colombia, Peru, Panama and Venezuela, focused on tackling serious organized crime and corruption, including tackling illicit drugs. It is not possible to disaggregate this figure by country as a significant proportion of the programming is regional in nature, and activities benefit more than one country. It should be noted that a significant proportion of this figure was activity delivered by HMG, and was not outsourced to other implementers.The UK has also contributed to a multi-donor $2 million project for crop substitution and food security, as well as funding the provision of technical advisers to the Colombian government office overseeing this work.

Russia: Espionage

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement he has had with his EU counterparts since the end of the transition period on the UK's co-operation with EU partners on Russian espionage in Europe.

Wendy Morton: It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters.The EU continues to be an important partner. As the Prime Minister said in the House of Commons on 30th December, 'we are going to become a friendly neighbour - the best friend and ally the EU could have - working hand-in-glove whenever our values and interests coincide while fulfilling the sovereign wish of the British people to live under their own laws, made by their own elected Parliament'.2021 is an exciting year for the UK - with our G7, COP26 and UN Security Council Presidencies. We look forward to working with all our partners, including the EU, to tackle the biggest challenges of our time: from the global recovery from Covid-19 to turning the tide on climate change, where we are working notably with Italy as our COP26 partner. We will also continue working with EU partners on key foreign policy files such as Iran and Libya.

British Nationals Abroad: Visas

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the maximum period of 90 days that UK citizens can stay in any 180-day period in EU and EEA countries without getting a visa or travel permit.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is able to negotiate the extension of the 90 day period that UK citizens can stay in EU and EEA countries without getting a visa or travel permit.

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is able to negotiate the extension of the 90 day period that UK citizens can stay in EU and EEA countries without getting a visa or travel permit.

Wendy Morton: During negotiations with the EU, the Government discussed arrangements for British Citizens travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU consistently maintained that British Citizens will be treated as third-country nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from 1 January 2021. This means that British Citizens are able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation.British Citizens planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State(s). This may require applying for a visa and/or permit. Information about travel to Europe is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU notes that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws. The detail of those arrangements is set by domestic law, reflecting the UK's position as a non-EU Member State. Negotiations with the EU have concluded and the Government is focused on the smooth, robust and effective implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Government does not typically enter into bilateral agreements on visa-free travel.The ending of the free movement of persons between the UK and the EU is a consequence of the UK's exit from the EU. The Government made clear that free movement of persons would end once the UK ceased to be a Member State of the EU, and left the EU single market. This fulfilled the Government's commitment to the British public to take back control of our borders and introduce a single, global immigration system.

Overseas Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken since changes to the Official Development Assistance budget were announced in July 2020 to inform his Department’s delivery partners of the effect on their programmes.

Nigel Adams: FCDO has engaged partners about the budget changes announced in July 2020. Most of those changes have been implemented and affected aid delivery partners have been notified of our decision. FCDO is currently working through a process of prioritisation to align its development spending in 2021 with the new GNI target. No decisions have yet been taken on individual budget allocations.

Overseas Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that decisions on changes to the Official Development Assistance budget are evidence-based and informed by the experiences of its delivery partners.

Nigel Adams: The new approach to aid announced by the Foreign Secretary in November 2020 marks our commitment to promoting science, research and data, and a rigorous use of evidence in the design of our interventions. Programmes will be designed to strive for the best possible development outcomes and impact, recognising that development action often takes place in risky and difficult environments. We insist on the rigorous use of evidence and scrutiny in programme design.At the time of the FCDO merger the Foreign Secretary committed to reinforce the role of the Independent Commission on Aid Impact (ICAI) to strengthen further transparency and accountability in the use of taxpayers' money. In December, FCDO completed a review of ICAI to strengthen its impact and provide practical, action-oriented recommendations to support Government in delivering UK aid.

Myanmar: Arms Trade

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to persuade members of the Commonwealth to join the UK in imposing arms embargoes against Myanmar.

Nigel Adams: The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. We are clear that countries including those in the Commonwealth should not sell arms to the Myanmar military. The UK autonomous Myanmar sanctions regulations prohibit the provision of military related services, including the provision of technical assistance, to or for the benefit of the Tatmadaw. We will work closely with partners to pressure those who sell arms to the military.

Myanmar: Sanctions

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK Government plans to introduce (a) economic and (b) other sanctions on the Myanmar military as an institution in addition to sanctions on individual Myanmar military and security personnel.

Nigel Adams: We are clear that the military must pay the price for their actions, that is why we are exploring all options to put pressure on their economic interests, this includes sanctions.We remain committed to the principle of 'do no harm' with sanctions, and therefore wish to ensure that any measures balance the risk of disproportionately affecting poor people in Myanmar and imposing a cost on the military. In addition, as set out in the written ministerial statement of 25 February, we are reviewing our approach to Trade and Investment in Myanmar, and while that review takes place have suspended all trade promotion activity. The Foreign Secretary and the International Trade Secretary have written to British Companies active in Myanmar to make clear our expectation that they do nothing to support the military.

Myanmar: International Criminal Court

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK Government supports the recommendation of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar that the situation in Myanmar should be referred to the International Criminal Court.

Nigel Adams: The UK is a longstanding supporter of the UN Fact Finding Mission, which we worked with partners to establish. We have worked hard to implement its recommendations. The UK is clear that there must be accountability for the acts of the military, both historic and recent. We are clear that all options should be on the table, this includes referral to the International Criminal Court. We will continue to work with partners to further the cause of accountability, including through our strong support to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and through discussions at the UN Security Council.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what meetings he has had with members of the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw in Myanmar.

Nigel Adams: The Foreign Secretary has not yet received any meeting requests from the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), but Ministers stand ready to meet them. Officials are engaging at a working level with members of the CRPH. They are an important voice for many in Myanmar. We coordinated with them to read out excerpts from their statements at the Special Session of the Human Rights Council on 12 February, and at the UN General Assembly meeting on 26 February.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is undertaking a review of the last 10 years of policy making in respect of Myanmar in light of the genocide and military coup which have taken place in that country.

Nigel Adams: The situation in Myanmar is complex, there are no simple answers. We work closely with civil society and parliament to ensure that our policy making is taking into account the lessons learned from the past decade.

Myanmar: Sanctions

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether UK Government sanctions against Myanmar military companies are planned to include the prohibition of the provision of services including (a) banking, (b) insurance and reinsurance, (c) finance, (d) consultancy, (e) accounting and (f) legal services.

Nigel Adams: We are clear that the military must pay the price for their actions, that is why we are exploring all options to put pressure on their economic interests, this includes sanctions.We remain committed to the principle of 'do no harm' with sanctions, and therefore wish to ensure that any measures balance the risk of disproportionately affecting poor people in Myanmar and imposing a cost on the military. In addition as set out in the written ministerial statement of 25 February we are reviewing our approach to Trade and Investment in Myanmar, and while that review takes place have suspended all trade promotion activity. The Foreign Secretary and the International Trade Secretary are writing to British Companies active in Myanmar to make clear our expectation that they do nothing to support the military.

Home Office

Migrants: Detainees

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her Department has cancelled the two pilot schemes offering an alternative to immigration detention.

Chris Philp: As part of the Department’s immigration detention reform programme, we are conducting a series of two pilots exploring alternatives to detention. In line with international best practice, each pilot will run for two years, before a final evaluationThe first of these pilots, Action Access, has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community. This pilot will conclude on 31 March 2021 after operating for two years, as planned. The second pilot, the Refugee and Migrant Advisory Service, is currently supporting both men and women in the community and will remain in operation until June 2022We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on these pilots and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to independently evaluate this work. These evaluations will be published, with the evaluation report of the Action Access pilot scheduled for early Summer 2021. We will use the evaluations of these pilots to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.

Metropolitan Police: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is able to take to encourage the Metropolitan Police to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire on Government contracts dated 27 November 2020, with the reference ZA54592.

Kit Malthouse: Metropolitan Police correspondence is the responsibility of the Met Police.Oversight of the Met Police is provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner. In London this is Sadiq Khan.I would encourage the hon. Member to write on this issue to the Mayor of London.

Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020: Fines

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of fines issued in error under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020; and if she will establish a review of all  fines issued under those regulations since those regulations came into force.

Kit Malthouse: We are grateful to the police for enforcing unprecedented restrictions, and in doing so saving lives.Evidential reviews are carried out by the police before fixed penalty notices (FPNs) are issued on their behalf by the ACRO Criminal Records Office. Individuals can choose not to pay an FPN and defend any prosecution for a relevant offence in court. The Home Office will continue to work closely with policing colleagues on the fair and effective enforcement of Covid regulations.

Email: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it an offence to send a scamming email to a vulnerable person.

Kevin Foster: Direct marketing, including spam emails, are regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) which is enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the independent data protection regulator. PECR regulates unsolicited marketing emails and specifies organisations must only send these to individuals who have agreed to receive them, except where there is a clearly defined customer relationship.The ICO has the powers to impose civil monetary penalties of up to £500,000 for serious contraventions of the PECR. In cases where a clear and serious breach of the legislation has taken place, the ICO will take direct action and/or enforcement action.In a situation where someone sends a scam email with the intention of defrauding another person, this conduct is already likely to constitute an offence under the Fraud Act 2006.

Veterans: Commonwealth

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy to enable Commonwealth veterans who have served in the UK's armed forces to settle in the UK.

Kevin Foster: This Government hugely values every member of our outstanding Armed Forces and we are humbled when non-UK nationals choose to serve our country.It is for these reasons we explicitly provide for all non-UK veterans discharged from HM Forces to obtain settlement in the UK having served for four years or more or having been discharged for medical reasons due to their service via the online form SET(AF):https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-settle-in-uk-as-former-member-of-hm-forces-setaf

Overseas Students: Employment

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support provided to international students who want to pursue a career in the UK after successful completion of their course with respect to (a) finances and (b) visas.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on improving the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for higher education studies of (a) allowing years of study to count towards those years required for settled status and (b) enhancing ease of transfer to a work visa upon completion of qualification.

Kevin Foster: The launch of the Graduate route on 1 July 2021, significantly enhances our offer to international students by providing students who successfully complete an eligible qualification at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, the opportunity to work or look for work for two years (three years for PhD students) after completing their course.Those on the Graduate Route will be able to work in any role, except as a professional sportsperson. They will also be able to switch into the Skilled Worker route at any point during their Graduate permission, if they find a job which meets the criteria for it.The launch of the Skilled Worker route on 1 December 2021, with its broader skills threshold of RQF level 3 and the salary threshold of £25,600, also allows more flexibility for the types of profession which students can pursue in the UK after they graduate. In addition, the new entrant provision, enabling certain applicants to qualify with a reduced salary threshold has also been extended to include applicants who are under 26 on the date of application. These changes in combination benefit all students who wish to switch into the Skilled Worker route and make it easier to meet the requirements for the route.Time spent studying under the Student route is not counted towards settlement. The route is a temporary route for the purpose of undertaking a course of study within the UK, rather than to settle. Students are able to switch into routes which count towards settlement such as the Skilled Worker route.

Migrant Workers: Visas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her department has to apply the reforms to the Global Talent visa announced in Budget 2021 retrospectively; and what estimate she has made of the number of rejected applications for that visa that would have been accepted under reformed rules in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Foster: The changes will provide expedited access to those individuals recognised as being at the pinnacle of their field and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to attract world leading talent to the UK. We believe no one who would qualify under the proposed provisions for globally prestigious prize winners would be refused under the current requirements.Like other planned changes to visa rules, they will not be applied retrospectively to applications decided under previous rules.

Youth Mobility Scheme

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on a reciprocal youth mobility scheme.

Kevin Foster: We remain open to expanding our Youth Mobility Scheme to more nations, based on agreeing suitable reciprocal arrangements.We have not commenced formal discussions with any EU member states or with the EU collectively but remain open to doing so.

Biometric Residence Permits

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of applicants who are unable to book a free biometric residence permit enrolment appointment; and what plans her Department has to increase the provision of those appointments.

Kevin Foster: UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) centres are run by Sopra Steria Ltd (SSL) on behalf of UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).The Home Office produces intake forecasts for immigration applications which are used to inform business and appointment capacity planning with SSL; forecasts vary across the year and our service is designed to respond and meet fluctuating demand. As part of UKVI’s ongoing operational forecasting activities we regularly review and refresh the number of applications we expect from all routes which in turn inform UKVCAS capacity planning.Demand for appointments to enrol biometrics at a UKVCAS service point is not wholly predictable and is dependent on customer behaviour. All chargeable appointments are optional. Estimates of how many customers are unable to book a free appointment is not possible; many of our customers choose to book chargeable appointments for reasons of convenience, cost and time benefits which enhanced service points or out of hours appointments provide alongside additional services they are able to access within a chargeable appointment, such as document checking and scanning, which are not included with free appointments.UKVCAS appointment levels have now returned to above the levels they were in March 2020, prior to COVID-19 disruption. Although UKVCAS are still currently experiencing very high demand for all appointments and the ongoing impact of measures to maintain COVID-secure facilities is limiting the ability to quickly expand capacity. Nevertheless, appointment capacity, including free appointment capacity will continue to increase over the coming months.Work is ongoing with SSL not only to ensure enough free appointments are available, but also to ensure family groups have access to them, and access is fairly balanced across the four nations. SSL have successfully recently trialled the introduction of group booking slots at some of the core service points, including Cardiff which is the closest core site to Bristol, and are now in the process of increasing the number of group slots at other sites.

Visas: Applications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the points based immigration system and global talent visas announced in Budget 2021, how many visa applications were rejected in 2021 that would otherwise have been approved under those announced changes; and whether her Department will seek to grant those announced changes in retrospect to people who would have been eligible under the new systems but otherwise had their visa applications rejected.

Kevin Foster: The Rules will apply to all applications decided on or after 5 May 2021.We are confident, no one who qualifies under the new provisions for prize winners would be refused under the current requirements.

Migrants: Coronavirus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Race Disparity Unit has made of the effect of the No Recourse to Public Funds condition applied to the immigration status of people working lawfully in the UK during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: The Government remains committed to protecting vulnerable people and has acted decisively to ensure we support everyone through this pandemic, including those lawfully working migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition.Many of the wide-ranging COVID-19 measures the Government has put in place have been made available to migrants with NRPF. The assistance being given under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-employed Income Support Scheme are not classed as public funds and are available to all those in work or self-employment respectively, including those with NRPF status and those on zero-hour contracts.  Both schemes have been extended to end of September 2021.Support is also available from local authorities for those with NRPF in England, in the form of a payment comparable to the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, which provides a £500 payment to people on low incomes who cannot work from home and have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, provided they meet the criteria set by the local authority for discretionary payments in their area. Further information on this scheme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme Migrants who rent will continue to be protected from eviction during the new national lockdown period. The Government has extended existing legislation to ensure bailiffs do not serve eviction notices or carry out evictions until at least the end of 31 May but there are exemptions for the most serious circumstances that present the most strain on landlords.Migrants who have been granted leave on the basis of their family life / human rights can apply to have the NRPF condition on their stay lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application.  For these routes, the NRPF condition can be lifted where there is evidence that the applicant is destitute (or at risk of destitution), the welfare of their child is at risk due to their low income, or there are other exceptional financial circumstances.We have also temporarily extended the eligibility criteria for free school meals in England to support some families with NRPF, in recognition of the difficulties they may be facing during these unique circumstances. More information, including eligibility details can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance.More information on the support available to migrants during the pandemic, including those with NRPF, can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk.

Animal Experiments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to meet the requirements of article 20B(1) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to support the development and validation of alternative strategies over the last 12 months; and what steps her Department plans to take to meet those requirements over the next 12 months.

Victoria Atkins: This Government continues to deliver article 20B of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to support the development and validation of scientific methods and testing strategies which do not use protected animals, or which (compared to existing scientific methods and testing strategies) use fewer protected animals or reduce the pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm caused to protected animals.Standard Condition 1 of all Establishment licences issued under ASPA requires each establishment to have systems in place to ensure activities at the establishment follow the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement). On inspection, the Home Office requires documented evidence that establishment licence holders are fulfilling this standard condition. The Home Office requires documented evidence that licences are reviewed during their lifetime for application of the 3Rs.Project licence applicants are expected to make best endeavours in using search strategies for non-animal alternatives. This should include the available searchable databases and resources such as those available through the NC3Rs website.To ensure licence applicants effectively apply the 3Rs it is mandatory that all licence holders have undertaken accredited modular training that includes the 3Rs approach.This Government continues to champion the work of the NC3Rs in supporting the research community to use science and technology to replace studies that require animals and develop new approaches. Where animals are still required, we support the NC3Rs approach of providing the latest information and guidance to improve laboratory animal welfare.

Asylum: Military Bases

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the key findings of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021; and if she will make a statement.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the key findings by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021, what recent assessment her Department has made of the continued use of (a) Penally training camp and (b) Napier barracks as contingency asylum accommodation.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the key findings by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021, what recent assessment her Department has made of the continued use of (a) Penally training camp and (b) Napier barracks as contingency asylum accommodation.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the key findings by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021, what recent assessment her Department has made its plans to extend planning permission at (a) Penally training camp and (b) Napier barracks.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the key findings by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021, what recent assessment her Department has made its plans to extend planning permission at (a) Penally training camp and (b) Napier barracks.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish its response to the key findings by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish its response to the key findings by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration from its site visits to Penally Camp and Napier Barracks, published on 8 March 2021.

Chris Philp: The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration announced an inspection of contingency asylum accommodation on 25 January 2021.The department acknowledges the ICIBI’s decision to publish on 8 March the initial findings from site visits to Napier Barracks and Penally.The ICIBI’s inspection continues and a full inspection report will follow.The duration of the inspection is a matter for the ICIBI and upon its conclusion, following standard procedure set out in the UK Borders Act 2007, the Department will issue a formal response alongside the inspection report as it is laid before Parliament and published on Gov.UK.

Asylum: Employment

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applicants were granted permission to work in the UK in 2020.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking asylum were in employment in 2020.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking asylum were in employment in 2020.

Chris Philp: Casework systems do not allow us to report on the number of permission to work requests received from asylum seekers or the number subsequently granted permission. Obtaining these figures would require a manual trawl of cases amounting to disproportionate time and cost.The Home Office does not keep track of how many asylum seekers are in employment.

Domestic Abuse: Animal Welfare

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of animal abuse being used as a means coercive control in domestic abuse situations; and what plans the Government has to tackle that form of abuse.

Victoria Atkins: Domestic abuse can encompass a wide range of behaviours and can affect all parts of a victim’s life and relationships. This includes the use of pets as a tool to coerce, control or threaten victims.The Domestic Abuse Bill will help to better protect and support the victims of all forms of domestic abuse and help bring perpetrators to justice. As part of this, the Government will be strengthening legislation on controlling or coercive behaviour so that abusers can still be prosecuted even when they no longer live with their victims.The statutory guidance which accompanies the legislation is designed to provide explanation of the different characteristics of domestic abuse, and includes reference to how pets may be used by perpetrators. The guidance will be published for a formal consultation after Royal Assent.Additionally, this year the government will be publishing a new Domestic Abuse Strategy which will build on the work of the Bill to transform our response to domestic abuse.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to reduce the occurrence of animal abuse in the UK.

Victoria Prentis: This Government is committed to animal welfare and the provision of tougher sentencing to deter acts of animal cruelty. The Government supports increasing the maximum custodial sentences for animal cruelty offences from six months to five years. This will enable courts to take a firmer approach to cases such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, or gross neglect of farm animals. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill was introduced into the House of Commons by Chris Loder MP on 5 February and Committee stage took place on 3 February. Report stage and third reading of the Bill have now been scheduled for Friday 12 March. The Government will continue to support the Bill as it makes its way through Parliament. A new maximum penalty of five years is in line with campaigns by key stakeholders such as Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Dogs Trust and the RSPCA. This is a positive step forward in improving animal welfare and will act as a serious deterrent against cruelty and neglect. Northern Ireland has already set the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences at five years' imprisonment, as has the Scottish Government through its Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act. The Welsh Government has confirmed that the new maximum penalty we are proposing should apply in Wales. The increase to five years' imprisonment will provide one of the toughest sanctions in Europe, strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare.

Dogs: Imports

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2021 to Question 136454, on Dogs: Imports, when her Department expects to have the figures for 2020.

Victoria Prentis: Further to Question 136454, the number of commercial dogs from Russia into the United Kingdom for 2018 to 2020 are as follows; YearNumber of commercial dogs 2018602019702020713

Food: Waste Management

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to implement weekly food waste collections in the immediate future ahead of New Burdens funding to support that collection which will be made available in 2023.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Bill will require local authorities to arrange for the separate collection of food waste from households in England, at least once a week. Businesses and organisations will also be required to arrange for the separate collection of food waste. Ahead of implementation of this and other reforms to increase the consistency of recycling collected from households and businesses, we continue to work with local authorities, businesses, WRAP and other stakeholders to ensure the successful roll-out of separate food waste collections.The Government will ensure that local authorities are resourced to meet net costs arising from new statutory duties. This will include the additional costs associated with the requirement to separately collect food waste, including upfront transition costs and ongoing operational costs. We are carrying out a new burdens assessment for this policy and will provide further detail on new burdens funding in due course, following the outcome of the second consultation on recycling consistency, which we are preparing to launch in the spring. In this consultation, we expect to seek further views on implementing separate food waste collections, including transition timelines for local authorities and businesses, as well as statutory guidance for waste collectors.

Pollinators: Conservation

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to strengthen protections for bees and other pollinators since the end of the transition period.

Rebecca Pow: Pollinators are a priority for this Government and we remain committed to working with our many partners to further the goals set out in our National Pollinator Strategy. We continue to take a range of steps to restore habitats, reduce pressures on pollinators, and maintain healthy bee populations.We recently launched the next round of Countryside Stewardship for agreements starting in January 2022. Countryside Stewardship continues to support land managers in delivering environmental benefits to their land. We are also introducing new schemes that will pay farmers to improve the environment, through paying for measures such as integrated pest management and other actions that support biodiversity, including pollinatorsWe now operate an autonomous GB pesticides regime and will continue to ensure that decisions on the use of pesticides are based on careful scientific assessment of the risks, with the aim of achieving a high level of protection for people and the environment. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks, including to pollinators, are not authorised. We have also just consulted on the revised National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides and are analysing the responses. The draft plan lays out how we intend to support the uptake of integrated pest management, and how we can further minimise risks to pollinators.In light of the changes to honey bee import rules, we are listening to beekeepers and their associations as part of our monitoring of the new arrangements. Guidance on the new rules was published prior to the end of the transition period and updates have been made in response to questions raised. Regular discussions take place with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations, with the aim of maintaining suitable trading arrangements for the UK beekeeping sector.

Biodiversity and Nature Conservation: Finance

Ruth Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to announce a further round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund or similar funding stream for local biodiversity and nature projects.

Rebecca Pow: In November 2020, the Government announced that it would double the size of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF) by making an additional £40 million investment. Round two of the GRCF opened for applications on 9 March. It will fund projects that restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment while creating and retaining jobs in the nature sector. We will review the effectiveness of projects in delivering against these aims before announcing any further rounds. In addition, over the next five years, the Nature for Climate Fund will drive a step-change in tree planting and woodland creation in England. This will be critical to achieving the Government's UK manifesto target of planting 30,000ha of trees per year by 2025, as well as restoring peatland. Farmers and other land managers in protected landscapes have been allocated funding from the Future Farming and Countryside Programme. The Government has also recently launched the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund. This will provide technical assistance grants of up to £100,000 to environmental groups, local authorities, businesses and other organisations to develop nature projects in England that can attract private sector investment.

Floods: Victoria Tower Gardens

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what long term risk assessment his Department has made of the (a) likelihood and (b) severity of possible flooding scenarios of the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre site in Victoria Tower Gardens over the next 100 year period.

Rebecca Pow: a) Victoria Tower Gardens, the location of the proposed Holocaust Memorial, is located within Flood Zone 3 but is protected by the Thames Tidal flood defences up to a 1 in 1000 (0.1%) chance in any year flood event. However, the Environment Agency’s most recent breach hazard modelling study shows the site to be impacted by flooding if there was to be a breach in the defences or they were to be overtopped.The applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated that the structural integrity of the wall can be maintained throughout the construction phase of the development and that a continuous monitoring plan will be in place to identify any unacceptable movement within the wall together with contingency actions. The Environment Agency has requested that the requirements of the monitoring plan be secured by way of planning condition.b) The Environment Agency’s modelling highlights that a breach in the tidal flood defences, while a low probability, could have an impact due to the depth and velocity of the flood water, increasing risk to life. The applicant, in discussion with the Local Authority’s Local Emergency Planning team, should asses the risks of internal flooding, access and exits of the building as part of a Flood Emergency Plan.The Environment Agency does not assess or approve the adequacy of flood emergency response procedures accompanying development proposals as it does not carry out these roles during a flood.

Agriculture: Environment Protection

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Environment Land Management scheme pilots will feed directly into his Department’s preparation of a Biomass Strategy.

Rebecca Pow: The pilots for schemes that reward environmental land management will build on the excellent work of our ongoing 'Tests and Trials', which involve around 3000 farmers and land managers across England.The pilots will assemble the concepts explored in the tests and trials into fully functioning prototype schemes, and work with farmers to see what works and what doesn't, fixing problems as we go. The pilots will run for three years, with applications opening in the spring and the first pilot, of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, commencing in October.We report the evidence and learning from tests and trials in real time to inform the pilots and wider Defra policy. Evidence from the pilots will start to come through during 2022.The Government has made a commitment to develop and publish a new cross-government Biomass Strategy by 2022. Defra is working closely with BEIS on this. The strategy will consider how biomass should be sourced and used across the economy to best contribute to our net zero target. We are looking carefully at how to ensure any push to biomass minimises impacts on food security and the environment.The Government will set out more details of its thinking in the forthcoming Energy White Paper and issue a call for evidence. This will be used to inform the Biomass Strategy development in the context of net zero.

Take-away Food: Litter

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the takeaway food industry on littering.

Rebecca Pow: The Litter Strategy sets out how we intend to work with the relevant industries to tackle certain types of problematic litter, including fast-food packaging. To this effect, I held a roundtable in September 2020 with large fast-food retailers to understand what action they are taking now to tackle the litter created by their products. It was encouraging to hear about the initiatives they are working on and, more importantly, that they are committed to delivering lasting change by working together to tackle what is an industry wide issue. We are watching closely to see how this commitment translates into action in due course. We believe that businesses should try to reduce the amount of litter their products generate. Through our reforms to packaging producer responsibility, we aim to reduce the amount of fast-food packaging that is littered and increase the amount of ‘on-the-go’ packaging that is recycled or reused. We will continue to engage with the takeaway food industry on these reforms. Following responses from our 2019 consultation on Extended Producer Responsibility, we will seek views on policy proposals relating to littered packaging, such as takeaway food packaging, in our forthcoming consultation this spring.

Poultry Meat: Poland

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of poultry meat imported into the UK is from Poland.

Victoria Prentis: Based on provisional HMRC published trade data, in 2020 29% of poultry meat imported was from Poland, by volume.

Fishing Vessels: Inspections

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many at sea inspections his Department conducted on (a) British and (b) overseas fishing boats in each month in 2020.

Victoria Prentis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 February 2021, PQ UIN 145144.

Litter: Community Orders and Fixed Penalties

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for (a) penalty reforms and (b) community punishments in response to increases in littering.

Rebecca Pow: Littering is a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty on conviction of a fine of up to £2,500, although most enforcement is carried out by local authorities using fixed penalties. Following consultation, with effect from April 2018, we increased the maximum fixed penalty for littering from £80 to £150, and from April 2019, the minimum fixed penalty was also raised from £50 to £65. We have also given councils in England (outside London) new civil penalty powers to tackle littering from vehicles. We have no plans to make further changes to the level of fixed penalties or fines for littering at this stage. Community Payback is the work carried out by offenders who have an unpaid work requirement as part of a community sentence. This can already include activities involving clearing litter. It is often recommended that those found guilty of littering should be required to participate in litter‑picking. However, community sentences are only available for imprisonable offences and are therefore not available for littering offences.

Furs: Sales

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,  what the planned timescale is for bringing forward legislative proposals on banning the sale of fur in the UK.

Victoria Prentis: We have some of the highest welfare standards in the world, and that is both a source of pride and a clear reflection of UK attitudes towards animals. Fur farming has been banned in England and Wales since 2000 and since 2002 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There are restrictions on some skin and fur products which may never be legally imported into the UK. These include fur and products from cats and dogs, and seal skins and products from commercial hunts. The Government is considering any further steps it could take in relation to fur.

Floods: Victoria Tower Gardens

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what long term estimates his Department has made of the level of risk of flooding in the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre site in Victoria Tower Gardens from a potential (a) breach of river wall or (b) overtopping of the river wall if water levels were to rise as a result of global warming.

Rebecca Pow: a) The Flood Risk Assessment required under paragraph 163 of the National Planning Framework, together with other associated assessments submitted by the applicant, has satisfactorily demonstrated that the integrity of the flood defence can be maintained throughout construction. This is subject to the actions of a detailed monitoring plan outlined within the application. b) The applicant has demonstrated, through design and loading calculations, that the proposal will not preclude the requirement to raise the flood defences in the future as required by the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan. It should be noted that while it may be impacted by this proposal, the flood defence is outside of the application boundary and will require cooperation between the applicant and the riparian owner to ensure that a continuous defence is maintained at all times.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Largan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the enquiry from the hon. Member for High Peak of 20 December 2020, reference RL16806.

Victoria Prentis: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 4 March 2021.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is permitted under covid-19 restrictions to travel for the purpose of animal welfare to a dog behaviorist.

Victoria Prentis: England is still in a national lockdown. The Government has issued guidance which states clearly that you must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a ‘reasonable excuse’. According to this guidance, you can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment. The Government has also issued advice for pet owners and livestock keepers on looking after the welfare of animals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Protecting the welfare of animals remains a priority for Defra throughout the coronavirus pandemic. I recognise that access to professional services such as dog training and behaviourists may be important for animal welfare purposes. The Canine and Feline Sector Group (CFSG) has issued further advice to pet-related businesses (including dog trainers and behaviourists) on how they can deliver their services safely under the restrictions in place to limit the spread of coronavirus. See: here On 22 February, the Government published ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ setting out the roadmap out of the current lockdown for England. This a step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England cautiously. Guidance on reopening businesses and venues is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reopening-businesses-and-venues-in-england/reopening-businesses-and-venues  Defra cannot advise individuals on what specific activities constitute a reasonable excuse given the individual’s circumstances and those applying to their dog. To determine this, individuals should consult the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020 and associated guidance. An example of a reasonable excuse toleave your home is to attend to the care and exercise of an animal. However, this should be done locally wherever possible. This means avoiding travel outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live and reducing the number of journeys you make overall. My department will continue to work closely with sector groups, such as the CFSG, to update advice to pet owners and pet service-based businesses at each step of the roadmap.

Litter

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to help reduce the (a) level of unlawful littering and (b) number of offences of leaving litter that are undetected; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the existing penalties for unlawfully leaving litter; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the existing penalties for unlawfully leaving litter; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: We published the Litter Strategy for England in April 2017, setting out our aim to deliver a substantial reduction in litter and littering within a generation. The Litter Strategy brings together communities, businesses, charities and schools to bring about real change by focusing on three key themes: education and awareness; improving enforcement; and better cleaning and access to bins. A copy of the Litter Strategy can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/litter-strategy-for-england. Littering is a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty on conviction of a fine of up to £2,500, although most enforcement is carried out by local authorities using fixed penalties. Following consultation, with effect from April 2018, we increased the maximum fixed penalty for littering from £80 to £150, and from April 2019, the minimum fixed penalty was also raised from £50 to £65. We have also given councils in England (outside London) new civil penalty powers to tackle littering from vehicles. We have no plans to make further changes to the level of fixed penalties or fines for littering at this stage. It is up to local councils to decide how they use their enforcement powers. We have published improved guidance to councils and others on the use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences. We are also seeking powers in the Environment Bill to ensure that enforcement powers are always used with a high degree of professionalism. Enforcement action should only be taken when it is in the public interest to do so. Enforcement action should always be proportionate, and penalties should not be issued for trivial offences or accidental littering.

Pigs: Animal Welfare

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to phase out the use of farrowing crates for sows that are pregnant.

Victoria Prentis: We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and a strong track record for raising the bar when it comes to welfare measures, such as banning battery cages for laying hens, sow stalls and veal crates - and introducing CCTV in all slaughterhouses in England. We want to continue to build on this, and are currently examining the evidence around the use of cages for farm animals. Defra’s new pig welfare code of practice, which came into force in March last year, states that the aim is for farrowing crates to no longer be necessary and for any new system to protect the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets.

Floods: Victoria Tower Gardens

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to (a) coordinate with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the latter Department duly considers the risk of flooding to the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre site in Victoria Tower Gardens in its planning consultation process, and (b) ensure that sufficient measures are taken to protect buildings in Thames Flood Zone 3 from an excessive risk of damages from potential flooding.

Rebecca Pow: a) The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee as outlined in the Development Management Procedure Order (DMPO) 2015. The Environment Agency formulates its response based on evidence and the requirements set out in the National Planning Policy Framework and associated Planning Practice Guidance (Flood Risk and Costal Change). This was created by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. b) Within the Thames Estuary, a complex network of defences, including nine major barriers, around 330km of walls and embankments, and more than 900 other structures (such as flood gates, outfalls and pumps), work together to protect over 1.4 million people and £321 billion worth of property from tidal flooding. The current tidal flood defences protect to a one in 1000 year flood event. To meet the challenge of climate change and sea level rises, the Thames Estuary 2100 plan details the requirements to raise flood defences in order to protect homes and businesses.

Animal Welfare: Enforcement

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Local Authority Enforcement Project in Wales, what similar support he is making available to local authorities for collaboration on animal welfare enforcement across the UK.

Victoria Prentis: The Welsh Government has kept us informed of its Local Authority Enforcement Project and we are looking into whether any lessons can be learnt to inform better training of local authority inspectors in England. Meanwhile, Defra has published statutory guidance notes for local authorities to support the enforcement of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) which govern activities such as dog breeding and pet sales.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities The 2018 Regulations require that all local authority inspectors must be suitably qualified and the procedural guidance notes define how inspectors can meet this criterion. Such criteria includes any person holding a Level 3 certificate or equivalent granted by a body, recognised and regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation which oversees the training and assessment of persons in inspecting and licensing animal activities businesses, confirming the passing of an independent examination. We also helped facilitate the establishment of the Local Government Animal Welfare Group (LGAWG) and its website which provides information for local authority teams as well as other animal welfare enforcers such as the police and the RSPCA. This Group seeks to raise the profile of animal welfare enforcement as well as sharing best practice and providing advice for those working with animals. Supported by Defra, the Local Government Association and the Animal Health & Welfare Board England, the LGAWG provides up to date information and news.

Animal Welfare: Inspections

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the ability of local authority inspectors to inspect licensable activities under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

Victoria Prentis: During the COVID-19 restrictions, my department has engaged with local authority representatives about their undertaking of inspections. Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) local authorities have powers to vary licences and this includes extending them without needing to inspect the premises. Therefore, local authorities were able to make decisions on a case by case basis relating to inspecting premises licensed under the 2018 Regulations in a safe way.

Fishing Vessels: Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many UK flagged fishing vessels are authorised to fish for stocks in the area governed by the Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC); whether any of those vessels or their owner companies are foreign controlled; and what the actual or anticipated costs are of the UK’s membership of the IOTC under the Instrument of Acceptance it deposited with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation on 14 December 2020.

Victoria Prentis: No UK-flagged fishing vessels have applied for a licence to fish in Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) waters in 2021, although licences can be applied for at any point during the year. The vessels that fish in the area are owned by UK-registered companies. The UK’s role in the IOTC is to represent UK vessels that fish in IOTC waters; to represent the interests of the British Indian Ocean Territory; and to pursue the UK’s international marine and fisheries policy aims. The UK’s membership fee for 2021 is $157,340 (£113,002 at the time of writing).

Cabinet Office

Blood: Contamination

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on ensuring that access to the infected blood support schemes is fair and equal throughout the UK.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to include bereaved parents and children in the infected blood support schemes.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to include bereaved parents and children in the infected blood support schemes.

Penny Mordaunt: Work is currently underway across government to address the concerns of people infected and affected by infected blood, and the House will be updated shortly.

Civil Servants: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to relocate civil servants to South Yorkshire.

Julia Lopez: The Government has committed to ensuring that the administration of Government is less Whitehall-centric with 22,000 civil service roles relocating to the regions and nations of the UK by the end of the decade. As you are aware, HMT and MHCLG both announced their relocation plans in the last few weeks. The Places for Growth programme is working with departments on their relocation plans to ensure a broad geography of the UK is benefiting from this agenda. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Offshore Industry: Staff

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many offshore oil and gas workers were resident in (a) Teesside, (b) north east England, (c) England and (d) Scotland in (i) 2000, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2020.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.UKSA's response to PQ165530 (pdf, 164.6KB)

Department for Education

Outdoor Education: Finance

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Nature Premium for children to help tackle inequalities of access to nature.

Vicky Ford: We recognise that outdoor activity and access to nature is a fundamental part of childhood which supports children’s mental health and wellbeing and understanding of the importance of the natural world. We also know that some children have good access to natural spaces whilst others do not, such as those living in areas of high urban disadvantage.The national curriculum includes content in different subjects which promotes understanding of the natural world. Primary science and geography give pupils a firm foundation for the further study of the natural environment in secondary school, through teaching about climate, the habitats of plants and animals and how environments can change, which can include positive and negative impacts of human actions. In secondary school, pupils continue to study ecosystems, including positive and negative human interactions with ecosystems and their impact on biodiversity, and are taught about how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments, and the climate. The teaching of this content can be supported by direct contact with the natural environments.We want headteachers to have as much discretion as possible over how they use their funding. It is for schools to decide how to teach the curriculum and what wider pastoral and extra-curricular activity to put in place, based on the needs of their pupils and drawing on evidence of effective practice. Schools’ core funding is rising per financial year by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20 funding levels.To support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to have better access to natural environments, the department has provided funding for the ‘Children and Nature Programme’, working alongside Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. The programme is supporting three delivery projects which aim to demonstrate and improve understanding of the effectiveness of interventions in nature, particularly for schools with the highest proportions of disadvantaged pupils in England.We also recognise the important role wraparound childcare and other out-of-school activities, such as outdoor education, can play in providing enriching activities which support children’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. That is why we have ensured, for the duration of the national lockdown, that these activities have been able to stay open for all children eligible to attend school on site, where it is to support certain essential purposes, and for vulnerable children and young people under any circumstance.As of 8 March 2021, in line with the wider return of pupils to school, these settings are now able to open for all children. Vulnerable children and young people can continue to attend under any circumstance, with parents of other children able to access this provision for their children where it is:Reasonably necessary to support them work, seek work, undertake education or training, address a medical need or to attend a support group.Being used as part of their child’s efforts to obtain a regulated qualification, meet the entry requirements for an education institution, or to undertake exams and assessments.Being used by electively home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education. As set out in the ‘COVID-19 Response – Spring 2021’ guidance, we have also committed to ensure all children will be able to access outdoor education and activity provision under any circumstance, from 29 March, in line with when schools close for the Easter holidays. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021.We are also exploring the option of introducing a new GCSE in Natural History after receiving a proposal from the exam board OCR. We have had an initial discussion on the proposal with OCR. We have made no commitment to introduce the GCSE at this stage. We, and the independent qualifications regulator Ofqual, will determine whether the proposal meets all the necessary conditions to sit alongside our rigorous suite of reformed GCSE qualifications.

Outdoor Education: Coronavirus

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department plans to provide to outdoor learning providers as part of the covid-19 catch-up provision.

Nick Gibb: We recognise that extended school and college restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and are committed to helping pupils make up lost education as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, committed to working with parents, teachers, and education providers to develop a long-term plan to help schools support pupils make up their education over the course of this Parliament.In February 2021, the Department also appointed Sir Kevan Collins, as Education Recovery Commissioner, to advise on the approach for education recovery and the development of a long-term plan to help pupils make up their education over the course of this Parliament. The Education Recovery Commissioner has been clear that sport and broader enrichment activities are a key part of recovery, and will engage with parents, pupils, and teachers in the development of this broader approach which will examine a range of options to help schools to use evidence-based interventions to support their pupils to make up lost education.£200 million will be made available to secondary schools to run summer schools with an initial focus on incoming Year 7 pupils. The summer schools will offer a mix of academic and enrichment activity. Guidance will be provided to schools, including a reminder that they can work with their usual wraparound or holiday provider to ensure they can collaboratively create a broad and interesting programme for the pupils involved.The Department recognises the significant benefits that education outside the classroom can have on children’s development as well as their mental health and wellbeing and is taking steps to unlock outdoor education and educational visits in line with the COVID-19 road map.

Children: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 142032, what specific funding his Department plans to allocate to programmes aimed at identifying vulnerable children whose problems have gone unidentified and unsupported throughout the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: The government continues to work closely with local authorities, the third sector and charity partners to understand the needs of local communities. It will keep under review any further measures that are necessary to support vulnerable children and young people. The government has supported vulnerable children throughout the COVID-19 outbreak including through keeping education settings open and ensuring the continuation of children’s social care and early help services. We are investing £1.7 billion in a comprehensive education recovery programme to help students recover from lost learning as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and we have appointed Sir Kevan Collins, as Education Recovery Commissioner, to advise on plans to support pupils to make up their learning over the course of this Parliament. We are also investing £220 million in the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which will be expanded across England this year, and a £79 million boost to children and young people's mental health support.

Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department has made available to parents of children with special needs who are having to homeschool without any respite during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: During periods of national lockdown, settings remained open to vulnerable children and young people, including those with education, health and care plans. From 8 March 2021, pupils in all year groups have been expected to attend their education setting in line with the wider return to face-to-face teaching. Where it is not possible for a child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to attend their education setting, there is a legal duty on schools and colleges to use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils or students.To support remote learning, the department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy, both for the summer term of the 2019-20 academic year and the 2020-21 academic year, to provide video lessons in a broad range of subjects for Reception to Year 11. This includes specialist content for pupils with SEND, along with therapy-based lessons and resources.We have recognised that some pupils and students with SEND may not have been able to access remote education without adult support and so have expected settings to work with families to deliver an ambitious curriculum appropriate for their level of need. Further details on delivering remote education for children and young people with SEND are set out here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-good-practice/remote-education-good-practice. These decisions should be considered on a case-by-case basis which takes account of the needs of, and circumstances specific to, the child or young person, avoiding a ‘one size fits all’ approach. All settings should have systems for checking, daily, whether pupils and students are engaging with their work, and work with families to rapidly identify effective solutions where engagement is a concern.We are also providing £40.8 million for the Family Fund in the 2020-21 financial year to support over 85,000 families on low incomes raising children with disabilities or serious illnesses. This includes £13.5 million to specifically address needs arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, which may include assistive technology to aid remote learning.Throughout all restrictions to date, children's social care services and early help services have continued to support vulnerable children and young people and their families. Local authorities have been allocated an additional £4.6 billion to help their communities through the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding is un-ringfenced, recognising local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major COVID-19 service pressures in their local area, including support to children’s services.Parents and carers may continue to access respite care to support them in caring for their disabled children while the restrictions are in force. This applies to services which care for children in and away from home. We continue to encourage local authorities to prioritise this support for disabled children, and to consider flexible and pragmatic options to deliver that support including using direct payments and carrying out activities virtually. Where parents have a disabled child under 5, we have enabled exemptions so they can establish a support bubble with another household to provide respite care.

Remote Education: Visual Impairment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the access of vision impaired pupils to quality learning while learning at home during covid-19 school closures.

Vicky Ford: We know that for some young people with vision impairment accessing quality learning at home during the COVID-19 outbreak has been challenging.To help respond to such challenges the government announced, in February, an additional £700 million for a range of additional measures to give early years settings, schools, providers of 16-19 education – including specialist settings – and local authorities the tools they need to target support for all students.It includes a new one-off £302 million Recovery Premium for state primary and secondary schools will build on the pupil premium, to further support pupils who need it most. Schools have flexibility in how they choose to spend the premium.

Pupils: Mental Health

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether funding for the Wellbeing in Education Return Programme is planned to continue after March 2021.

Vicky Ford: Our £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return project funded until the end of March has provided support, advice and resources for schools and colleges. Programme estimates suggest that training and support has already reached up to 15,000 schools giving schools across the country information and strategies to help them to respond to the mental wellbeing issues that children and young people are facing. Webinar content covering wellbeing and resilience, bereavement and loss, trauma, anxiety, stress and low mood will remain freely available on the MindEd platform for all education settings to use and adapt to their particular setting: https://www.minded.org.uk/Component/Details/662137.We are considering how we can build on this to provide further support for children, young people, and staff as they return to education. The department’s Mental Health in Education Action Group has identified 5 areas where we can look to make use of health provision and expertise to support education settings further in the short term, including:clear advice and sources of support for the issues that education staff find the most difficult to deal withgood information and materials on specific issues that children and young people are seeking help with to inform pastoral supportbringing together sources of online/text/app support and setting out how this can complement school and college pastoral support and face-to-face provisionclear advice to schools on how to use catch-up and recovery premium most effectively pastoral support, linking them to evidence-based local and national provisionproviding wellbeing support for students who are making the transition into secondary school and post-16 education, especially those who have been out of education for a significant time to support them to stay in learning.The department will bring together specific groups of partners and stakeholders, including education representatives, to take action on each making the best use of existing support in the immediate term and identifying opportunities to strengthen support further. The department will also continue to engage with education stakeholders, including staff and leadership unions, to further understand the issues and put other action in place.

Remote Education: Mobile Broadband

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the remote education support scheme being offered by mobile phone networks in partnership with his Department, how many pupils are receiving support offered by (a) EE, (b) O2, (c) Sky Mobile, (d) SMARTY, (e) Tesco Mobile, (f) Three, (g) Virgin Mobile and (f) Vodafone as of 9 March 2021.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) laptops and tablets and (b) 4G wireless routers have been delivered to (i) schools, (ii) local authorities and (iii) academy trusts as of 9 March 2021.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) laptops and tablets and (b) 4G wireless routers have been delivered to (i) schools, (ii) local authorities and (iii) academy trusts as of 9 March 2021.

Nick Gibb: As of Monday 8 March, over 1.2 million laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, academy trusts, local authorities, and further education colleges. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/laptops-and-tablets-progress-data-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.The Department publishes this data every week during term time, the next publication will be Tuesday 16 March.The Department has partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help over 30,000 disadvantaged children get online. We are not able to provide a breakdown of the numbers of requests received for each provider as this information is commercially sensitive for providers.We are grateful to EE, Lycamobile, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, Vodafone, iD Mobile and giffgaff for supporting the mobile data offer. The Department is currently engaged with additional mobile network operators and continues to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools and colleges in England are covered by the 59 Mental Health Support Teams currently in operation.

Vicky Ford: To provide increased access to support for children and young people with emerging mental health problems, in and around schools and colleges, we have committed to establish new Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023. This is part of the reforms to provide additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak.Over 180 MHSTs have been established or are in development across the country. Once fully operational they will cover 15% of pupils.A further 104 teams are in the process of being established in financial year 2020/21. This will bring the total number of MHSTs to over 280.A further 112 teams will be established in financial year 2021/22, totalling around 400 teams providing support to an estimated 3 million children and young people (around 35% of pupils in England), by 2023.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the £95 million allocated in 2017 to train Designated Senior Mental Health Leads in schools has been spent to date; and how many Designated Senior Mental Health Leads have been trained.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools and colleges have a Designated Senior Mental Health Lead.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools and colleges have a Designated Senior Mental Health Lead.

Vicky Ford: The department and the Department of Health and Social Care jointly published ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health: A Green Paper’ in 2017, and a subsequent consultation response in 2018, setting out the government’s commitments to improve mental health support in and around schools and colleges. The Green Paper can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper. We remain committed to these proposals, including incentivising and supporting all schools and colleges to have an effective senior mental health lead by offering training free of charge to every school and college in England by 2025.The government has prioritised providing bespoke training and support to meet the immediate challenges that all schools and colleges face in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak through our £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme, delaying delivery of senior lead training.The proportion of schools and colleges reporting they have a mental health lead has gone up to over three quarters in 2018 (82% of schools, 91% of further education colleges) from under half of schools in 2016 (49% of schools, 69% of colleges), albeit based on different sources, such as ‘The School Snapshot Survey: Winter 2018’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-snapshot-survey-winter-2018, and the ‘Post-16 Institutions and Providers Omnibus’, summer 2018, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-16-institutions-and-providers-omnibus-wave-6-survey.We have recently assessed the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the training needs of senior mental health leads and begun to engage the training provider market, and key education, health and local authority stakeholders with a view to offering senior lead training from the beginning of the next academic year (autumn 2021). Our intended option, subject to feasibility, is to provide schools and colleges with a grant, and appropriate support to identify and purchase high quality training that meets their needs. This training is intended to provide individuals with the additional knowledge and skills needed to develop or introduce a positive whole school or college approach to wellbeing and mental health, helping ensure pupils and students needing help with their mental health receive the appropriate support.

Remote Education: Visual Impairment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that vision impaired pupils have fair and equal access to learning at home during the covid-19 school closures.

Vicky Ford: Children with vision impairment may be vulnerable children, such as those with education health and care plans, and as such were strongly encouraged to attend school. Where pupils with vision impairment were not in school we expected schools to provide suitable remote learning materials.We are funding National Star College to provide specialist online training on assistive technology to strengthen remote education provision for pupils with special educational needs.

Remote Education: Computer Software

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 3 March 2021 to Question 157108, on Remote Education: Computer Software, what assessment he has made of potential implications of the (a) access to data and (b) dependence on other services costs associated with free to use platforms.

Nick Gibb: The Department supports schools in meeting their safeguarding and data protection obligations in a number of ways.The Get Help with Remote Education webpage allows teachers to access guidance, resources and support on educating pupils during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-remote-education. This includes information on issues such as safeguarding, statutory duties and expectations. Of particular use will be the following guidance which provides information on how to follow safeguarding procedures when planning remote education strategies and teaching remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-and-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.The following lines on virtual lessons and live streaming are included within the guidance.Should schools choose to provide remote education using live streaming or pre-recorded videos, guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre on video conferencing services could help schools to set up video conferencing safely: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/video-conferencing-services-security-guidance-organisations and https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/video-conferencing-services-using-them-securely.In addition, guidance from the UK Safer Internet Centre on safe remote education includes detailed advice on live, online teaching, and the safeguarding guidance from London Grid for Learning includes platform-specific advice: https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/safe-remote-learning/ and https://coronavirus.lgfl.net/safeguarding.The Department will continue to support schools in these matters. Where an individual has concerns about the processing of their or their child’s personal data, they should in the first instance raise this matter with school as the data controller. Further guidance on data protection is also provided by the UK Information Commissioner: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2020/12/ico-publishes-new-data-sharing-code-of-practice/.Schools can apply for government funding to establish access to, and training on, a free digital education platform. Once schools have access to a platform, the school’s pupils can use it for free. Free training and support to set up and use technology effectively is available through the EdTech Demonstrator Programme: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/EdTech-demonstrator-programme.

Supply Teachers: Coronavirus

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, who is responsible for the provision of lateral flow testing for supply teachers; and what steps he is taking to ensure the ongoing covid-19 testing of supply teachers not directly employed or on an ongoing assignment at a school.

Nick Gibb: Rapid testing is a vital part of the Government’s plan to supress COVID-19. Since January 2021, we have been delivering the programme of rapid asymptomatic testing for the primary school, secondary school and further education college workforce, and this includes supply teachers and support staff.The school workforce includes all staff who are school based, including those in maintained nursery schools and schools-based nurseries.Schools and colleges should offer testing to teaching and non-teaching staff members, such as support staff, clinical practitioners and therapists. Non-permanent members of staff should also be offered testing, such as trainee teachers on placement in school and the supply workforce.In addition to testing in schools, employment agencies who employ over 50 staff and are registered in England can also register to order tests for employees who cannot work from home: https://www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests.Lateral flow testing may also be available through local councils. Rapid lateral flow test sites can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/find-covid-19-lateral-flow-test-site. The Department has recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on testing. The guidance can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966866/210224_Schools_guidance.pdf.

Department for Education: Consultants

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department has spent on consultants for (a) marketing, (b) focus group, (c) polling and (d) other promotional activity relating to his Department's responsibilities in each year since 2015.

Nick Gibb: Data on consultancy spend against the categories a) marketing, (b) focus group, (c) polling and (d) other promotional activity is not readily available and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.A transactional breakdown of spending over £25,000 is published at the links below. The reports can be filtered by Consultancy under ‘Expense Type’.Spend reporting for Financial Year 2020 to 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-and-executive-agency-spend-over-25000-2020-to-2021.Spend reporting for Financial Year 2019 to 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-and-executive-agency-spend-over-25000-2019-to-2020.Spend reporting for Financial Year 2018 to 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-and-executive-agency-spend-over-25000-2018-to-2019.Spend reporting for Financial Year 2017 to 2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-and-executive-agency-spend-over-25000-2017-to-2018.Spend reporting for Financial Year 2016 to 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-and-executive-agency-spend-over-25000-2016-to-2017.Spend reporting for Financial Year 2015 to 2016: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-and-executive-agency-spend-over-25000-2015-to-2016.

Pupils: Disability

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing guidance to schools on the use of clear face masks which may improve the educational outcomes of children with disabilities.

Nick Gibb: The Department continues to work closely with other Government Departments throughout its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care, as well as stakeholders across the sector. We continue to work to ensure that our policy is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, to continue to develop comprehensive guidance based on the PHE-endorsed ‘system of controls’ and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils and parents.The Department has recently published updated guidance for schools to support the return to full attendance from 8 March, which includes updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/964351/Schools_coronavirus_operational_guidance.pdf.The system of controls as outlined in our guidance have been developed with PHE to reduce risk in schools, colleges, and nurseries. Implementing the system of controls creates a safer environment for staff and pupils where the risk of transmission of the infection is substantially reduced. The use of face coverings in recommended circumstances is one element of the system of controls and should be implemented alongside other measures, including maintaining social distancing wherever possible and regular hand washing.As the guidance outlines, where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, the Department recommends that face coverings should be worn by adults, pupils and students when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.In addition, from 8 March, the Department now also recommends that in schools where pupils and students in Year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn in classrooms unless social distancing can be maintained.In primary schools, face coverings should be worn by staff and adult visitors where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in primary schools do not need to wear a face covering.Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness, impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools, colleges and nurseries.Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.We are recommending these additional precautionary measures for a for a time limited period until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep this under review and update guidance as necessary.

Schools: Uniforms

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of how much parents spend on average on school uniform, per (a) primary and (b) secondary pupil in the state-maintained sector each year.

Nick Gibb: The Department commissioned the Cost of School Uniform report in 2015: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436576/RR474_Cost_of_school_uniform.pdf. This report found that the average expenditure for a school uniform at primary school was £192.14 for boys and £201.04 for girls. For secondary pupils, the average costs were £231.01 for boys and £239.93 for girls.No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to the school of their choice. The Government is supporting the current Private Members' Bill (Guidance about the Cost of School Uniform) which was introduced to Parliament on 5 February 2021, to make our guidance on the cost considerations for school uniform statutory.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of covid-19 lockdowns on the attainment gap between boys and girls in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 disruption on the attainment and progress of all students is a key research priority for the Government, and we have commissioned an independent research and assessment agency to provide a baseline assessment of catch-up needs for pupils in schools in England and monitor progress over the course of the year. This research is based on assessments that schools are already using over this academic year. Initial findings from the research were recently published on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-progress-in-the-2020-to-2021-academic-year-interim-report. The next stages of the research will enable us to break down impacts on different subgroups of pupils, including analysis of how boys’ and girls’ attainment may have been differentially affected by time out of school due to COVID-19.The Government recognises that extended school and college restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and are committed to helping pupils make up learning lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister committed to work with parents, teachers and pupils to develop a long-term plan to help pupils make up their learning over the course of this Parliament.In February 2021, the Department appointed Sir Kevan Collins as Education Recovery Commissioner to advise on the approach for education recovery and the development of a long-term plan to help pupils make up their learning over the course of this Parliament. As an immediate step, we have made available a further £700 million to support education recovery measures. This builds on the £1 billion from last year and brings total available in education recovery to £1.7 billion. Funding will support pupils across nurseries, schools and colleges and provides an additional one-off ‘Recovery Premium’ for schools, expansion of tutoring in schools and colleges, summer schools in 2021 and early language support.

National School Breakfast Programme: Coronavirus

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the role the National School Breakfast programme could play in helping children recover lost learning as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: This Government wants pupils to be healthy and well nourished. We encourage pupils to adopt a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices through school funding, legislation and guidance.The Department is investing up to £38 million in the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP). This funding is enabling up to 2,450 schools to set up or improve breakfast clubs in disadvantaged areas of the country. The programme is designed to support schools in making their breakfast clubs sustainable for the longer term.The Department knows that breakfast clubs can bring a wide range of benefits for children. An evaluation by the Education Endowment Foundation found that supporting schools to run a free of charge, universal breakfast club before school delivered an average of 2 months’ additional progress for pupils in Key Stage 1. Schools with breakfast clubs also saw an improvement in pupil behaviour and attendance.The Department’s protective measures guidance for providers of before or after school clubs, and other out-of-school settings during the COVID-19 outbreak has been updated to make clear that providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, breakfast or after-school clubs, tuition, and other out-of-school provision for children, are able to continue to open for both outdoor and indoor provision, provided they follow the protective measures set out by the Government in this guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.Parents and carers are only able to access settings for certain essential purposes. Providers should only offer indoor and outdoor face-to-face provision to:vulnerable children and young peopleother children, where the provision is:reasonably necessary to enable their parents and carers to work, search for work, undertake education or training, or attend a medical appointment or address a medical need, or attend a support group,being used by electively home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education,being used as part of their efforts to obtain a regulated qualification, meet the entry requirements for an education institution, or to undertake exams and assessments. The Government is committed to helping children and young people make up education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department has invested £1.7 billion to give early years, schools and colleges support to help pupils get back on track, including additional funding for tutoring, early language support, and summer schools.The Department has also appointed Sir Kevan Collins as Education Recovery Commissioner who will advise ministers on the approach for education recovery, with a particular focus on helping students catch up on education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Qualifications: Hong Kong

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has issued to (a) educational institutions, (b) providers of apprenticeships and (c) other providers of training and education to ensure that people coming to the UK from Hong Kong under (i) the BN(O) and (ii) other visa schemes are able to secure training and education opportunities using qualifications obtained in Hong Kong.

Nick Gibb: On 31 January 2021, the UK Government introduced a new immigration route for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders in Hong Kong, providing the opportunity for them and their eligible family members to live, work and study in the UK.Departments across Government are working together closely to ensure that necessary support and guidance is provided for BN(O) status holders who take advantage of the new visa route.The UK European Network Information Centre (UK ENIC, and formerly UK NARIC) provides expert advice on behalf of the UK Government on the comparability of international qualifications, including those from Hong Kong to UK qualifications. UK Higher Education Institutions and other educational institutions use the ENIC database to assess the qualifications of applicants for their courses.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration the expert advisory group on the differential impacts of the covid-19 outbreak on pupils will give to the views of clinically extremely vulnerable pupils who have been shielding throughout the academic year to inform alternative arrangements to support those pupils.

Nick Gibb: The Department recognises that school closures have had a significant impact on the education of young people across the country, and that disruption will have been felt differently by individual students, depending on their circumstances.We have appointed Sir Kevan Collins as the Education Recovery Commissioner to advise on a longer-term plan. The objectives of the Education Recovery Commissioner, as outlined in the terms of reference, are to advise on the design and implementation of potential interventions that will help students catch up learning lost due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Education Recovery Commissioner will also consider how schools and the system can effectively target resources and support at pupils and areas in greatest need, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.The terms of reference for the Education Recovery Commissioner, are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/960070/Terms_of_reference.pdf.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that an attainment gap does not form, as a result of school closures, during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to helping children and young people make up education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. We recognise that disruption to education will have been felt differently by individual students, depending on their circumstances.As an immediate step, we have made available £1.7 billion in funding to support education recovery for pupils across nurseries, schools, and colleges.In June 2020, the Department announced an initial package of support worth £1 billion, including a £650 million ‘Catch Up Premium’ to support schools to make up for lost teaching time and £350 million for the National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils. This will increase access to high quality tuition for the most disadvantaged young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers.In February 2021, the Department committed to further funding of £700 million to fund summer schools, expansions of tutoring programmes and a recovery premium for the next academic year.The Government has appointed Sir Kevan Collins as the Education Recovery Commissioner to advise on the approach for education recovery and the development of a long term plan to help pupils make up their learning over the course of this Parliament. The objectives of the Education Recovery Commissioner as outlined in the terms of reference are to advise on the design and implementation of potential interventions that will help students catch up education lost due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This will be informed by evidence so that schools can more effectively target resources and support at pupils and areas in greatest need. Academic and non academic factors in supporting attainment will form a part of this work.The terms of reference for the Education Recovery Commissioner are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/960070/Terms_of_reference.pdf#:~:text=Education%20Recovery%20Commissioner%3A%20role%20specification%20and%20terms%20of,approach%20for%20education%20recovery%2C%20with%20a%20particular%20focus.

GCE A-level and GCSE: Assessments

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether qualified teachers who are not currently employed by a school, but operating as aprivate tutor, can submit teacher assessments for private candidates in lieu of cancelled GCSE and A levelexams.

Nick Gibb: There is a clear and accessible route for private candidates to receive a grade this year, at the same time as other candidates. Private candidates will be expected to work with a centre to be assessed on a range of evidence, as other candidates will be. Ofqual and the exam boards will issue guidance to support centres assessing private candidates. This evidence could include evidence created with another established education provider.Regarding evidence gathered externally, subject to consultation, Ofqual’s head of centre guidance states: “Centres should bear in mind when making judgements… authentic evidence from other centres or established educational providers where a student might have studied during the course or such evidence from where a student has studied with the support of a specialist teacher or tutor. Exam boards will provide further guidance to support centres in how they can determine whether evidence is likely to be authentic, including where they may normally rely on evidence that has been produced with certain types of provider without the need for detailed checks.” Further guidance will be provided by exam boards shortly. Further information regarding Ofqual’s head of centre guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/965648/6749-3_Summer_2021_GQs_-_Info_for_Heads_of_Centre.pdf.Centres will be expected to provide to private candidates a description of the main elements of their approach to assessment before they register with them. This means that private candidates have the opportunity to choose a centre and approach that is suitable for the evidence they are able to provide.

International Baccalaureate: Assessments

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish details on how the grades of pupils taking the International Baccalaureate will be determined in the 2020-21 academic year.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with the International Baccalaureate Organisation since 14 January 2021.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that International Baccalaureate grading will rely on teacher assessments using pupils' coursework to form part of that assessment.

Nick Gibb: The Department conducted a two week consultation with Ofqual, starting on 15 January 2021, which sought the views of students, parents, schools and colleges and employers on the proposals for examinations and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) and other general qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate, and the alternative arrangements that would be used where examinations do not take place.As part of the consultation, the Department engaged with a number of stakeholders including awarding organisations, such as the International Baccalaureate, to discuss their views on the proposals.On 25 February 2021, the Department announced that, to achieve fairness for students, other general qualifications that are not GCSEs, AS or A levels, such as the International Baccalaureate, should not be subject to examinations and will be awarded in a similar way to GCSE, AS and A levels. Alongside this, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) has also confirmed to its UK schools that examinations will not take place this summer.Ofqual are currently undertaking a consultation on the regulatory framework that will allow awarding organisations including the IBO to award VTQs and other general qualifications this year. The response to this consultation will be published as soon as possible to allow final arrangements to be communicated to students, schools, and colleges.

Further Education: Disadvantaged

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many 16 to 19 year old students attracted (a) Disadvantage Block 1 funding, (b) Disadvantage Block 2 funding and (c) Disadvantage Block 1 and 2 funding in the latest year for which figures are available.

Gillian Keegan: The table below sets out the number of funded 16-19 students attracting disadvantage block 1 and block 2 funding.The numbers are taken from the latest full year data we hold (2019 to 2020 individualised learner record R14 and 2019 to 2020 school census).16-19 students attracting Disadvantage Block 1 funding only16-19 students attracting Disadvantage Block 2 funding only16-19 students attracting both Disadvantage Block 1 & 2 funding177,084242,822180,294

Apprentices: Taxation

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to reform the apprenticeship levy to allow it to be used to support different forms of training.

Gillian Keegan: The Department for Education is responsible for apprenticeships policy in England only.The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from all UK employers with a pay bill above £3 million. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland receive a share of levy funding and it is the responsibility of the devolved administrations to determine how they spend this share to fund and operate their apprenticeship programmes.The apprenticeship levy underpins our reforms in England to raise apprenticeship quality and support employers to make a long-term, sustainable investment in the skills that they need to grow. Employers are able to use their levy funds to access high-quality apprenticeship training and assessment. We currently have no plans to review what apprenticeship levy funds can be spent on.We have set out our plans to improve the working of the apprenticeship levy in England in our Skills for Jobs white paper. We are making apprenticeships more flexible so that they work better for employers from all sectors, and we are enabling large employers to make greater use of their levy funds by improving and simplifying the process of transferring funds to other employers, including small employers who do not pay the levy.

Digital Technology: Training

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the £138 million in funding for technical courses for adults will be spent on increasing digital skills.

Gillian Keegan: The government will invest £138 million to fund in-demand technical courses for adults, and to expand the employer-led bootcamp training model, in high value areas such as digital and technical skills.The £138 million investment will come from the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund (NSF) and will include £95 million funding for a new level 3 adult offer and £43 million for Skills Bootcamps. Investment in skills through the NSF is vital, ensuring adults have the opportunity to progress into higher wage employment and to support those who need the opportunity to retrain at different points throughout their lives.The level 3 adult offer, available from this April, will support any adult aged 24 and over, who wants to achieve their first full level 3 qualification to access around 400 fully funded courses. The offer includes a range of qualifications that are valuable across the economy in multiple sectors. The qualifications list currently includes 33 digital qualifications in areas such as cyber security, coding, network architecture, systems support, and aspects of digital design for the creative industries. We will keep this list under review to ensure it adapts to the changing needs of the economy.Whilst £95 million has been dedicated for the level 3 adult offer, the exact spend on different courses will be based on learner uptake.Complementing the level 3 adult offer, Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills Bootcamps offer digital skills training in areas such as software development, digital marketing and data analytics and technical skills training. We have introduced the Skills Bootcamps in six local areas so far, and we are investing a further £43 million from the NSF to extend them across England.Following a competitive application process, successful bids will be announced in the spring to ensure many more thousands of adults benefit from this offer. We expect that at least half of the £43 million Skills Bootcamps funding will address digital skills needs, but the final figure will be determined by the outcome of the procurement.The government plans to consult on the NSF in spring 2021 to ensure that we develop a fund that helps adults learn valuable skills and prepares them for the economy of the future.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: Mountains

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2021 to Question 158881, what assessment his Department has made of whether visa processes for mountain leaders and other similar professionals are as prompt and smooth as possible under the UK's agreement with the EU.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department has not made an assessment of how smoothly the visa process for mountain leaders is running. As stated in my previous answer, the Government continues to engage with stakeholders, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders, to understand their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Where this concerns visa processes, this will be fed into the relevant Departments - in this case BEIS and the Home Office.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether BDUK contracts for Rural Broadband coverage stipulate that all premises in a region will be covered by that programme.

Matt Warman: The contracts for rural broadband coverage form part of the Department’s supply side interventions managed through Building Digital UK. Stringent planning activity through open market reviews and public reviews set out which premises within a region are able to be targeted as part of a procurement process, setting out an intervention area. If a premise is already served it will not be within scope. It is the subsequent public procurement process that broadband infrastructure providers respond to that confirms which premises within the stipulated intervention area can be modelled and delivered to.

Social Media: Safety

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to require an independent auditor to assess the steps taken by social media firms to tackle online harms as part of the forthcoming Online Safety Bill.

Caroline Dinenage: Ofcom will be named as the independent regulator for online harms in the Online Safety Bill. Ofcom will be responsible for overseeing and enforcing companies’ compliance with the regulatory framework. Ofcom will be given the powers to fulfil its new statutory duties and functions effectively, including the ability to gather information from companies to understand how they are tackling online harms. As part of this, Ofcom will have the power to require a company to undertake, and pay for, a skilled person report on specific issues of concern, for example where external technical expertise is needed.

National Lottery: Charitable Donations

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of return to good causes since the National Lottery was established in 1994.

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the correlation between the profitability of the National Lottery and the amount that organisation returns to good causes.

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the correlation between the profitability of the National Lottery and the amount that organisation returns to good causes.

Mr John Whittingdale: Annual good cause income has generally increased since the National Lottery began in 1994, although there have been fluctuations year on year during that period. DCMS reports annually on the level of good cause income in the National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Report and Accounts. The Government and the Gambling Commission share a statutory duty to maximise returns to good causes, subject to ensuring that the National Lottery is run with all due propriety and that the interests of players are protected. In fulfilling its statutory objectives, following a competitive bidding process, the Gambling Commission issues a licence, which sets out the basis for allocating funds to good causes and profit to the operator. The Gambling Commission is currently running the competition to award the fourth licence to operate the National Lottery. As with the current licence, the fourth licence will require the operator to maximise good cause returns, and the alignment between good causes and operator profit reinforces this.

National Lottery

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of National Lottery participation rates over the third licence period.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Third National Lottery licence started in February 2009. Data collected by the Gambling Commission shows the percentage of regular National Lottery draw-based game players, aged 16+ in Great Britain, since 2012. This data does not include instant win games (Scratchcards or Online Instant Win Games), sales of which have increased since the licence began. YearPast 4 week gambling participation (National Lottery Draw-Based Games)Year to December 201246.1%Year to December 201343.4%Year to December 201437.4%Year to December 201532.3%Year to December 201630%Year to December 201727.3%Year to December 201827.6%Year to December 201929.6%Year to December 202027.3%

National Lottery: Licensing

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the criteria in place to ensure the Fourth National Lottery Licence competition provides opportunities for innovation and creativity.

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take with the Gambling Commission to ensure that the successful fourth National Lottery competition bidder delivers on undertakings made during the bid process.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Gambling Commission is responsible for designing the fourth National Lottery Licence, running the competition, selecting the winning application, and managing the operator in-licence. DCMS and the Gambling Commission share three statutory duties: to ensure that the National Lottery is run with all due propriety, to protect players’ interests, and - subject to those - to maximise returns to good causes. It is upon these duties that the Commission has designed the evaluation criteria for the Fourth Licence competition. Applicants are free to innovate within the legal framework. The next licence will give the operator greater autonomy to make strategic decisions, providing the licensee with the flexibility to innovate while ensuring they meet high standards of player protection and propriety. The winning applicant will be required to sign a number of agreements with the Gambling Commission to ensure that they deliver on the proposals in their bid.

Gambling

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the leading routes into problem gambling for (a) women, (b) men, (c) people under the age of 30 and (d) people over the age of 30.

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of whether the National Lottery is a potential entry point into problem gambling and gambling related harm for vulnerable people.

Mr John Whittingdale: Problem gambling is a complex issue and there are multiple and varied factors which contribute to its development in individuals, even within demographic groups. The government launched its Review of the Gambling Act 2005 on 8 December with the publication of a Call for Evidence. The Review will be wide-ranging and evidence led and aims to make sure we have the right protections in place to make gambling safer for all. While all forms of gambling carry risk, the National Lottery is associated with the lowest rates of problem gambling of all products. Evidence from the 2018 Health Survey for England showed that problem gambling rates for National Lottery draw-based games were 0.9% while the figure for Scratchcards was 1.4%.

Sports: Betting

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the legislative viability of a fair return system for sport betting in which gambling operators must pay a fee or portion of revenues to sports clubs for using their content for gambling purposes.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a levy on the gambling industry to fund football.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a levy on the gambling industry to fund football.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government has taken to support football clubs to develop alternative commercial opportunities to gambling advertising and sponsorship.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government has taken to support football clubs to develop alternative commercial opportunities to gambling advertising and sponsorship.

Mr John Whittingdale: The government currently has no plans to introduce a requirement for gambling operators to pay a fee or levy to sports clubs and has not had discussions with football clubs about developing commercial opportunities. The Review of the Gambling Act 2005 was launched on 8th December with the publication of a Call for Evidence. As part of the broad scope of that Review, we have called for evidence on the benefits or harms of allowing operators to advertise and engage in sponsorship arrangements across sports, esports and other areas. The Call for Evidence will remain open until 31 March, and no policy decisions have yet been made. We intend to set out conclusions, including any proposals for change, in a white paper later this year.

Food: Advertising

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to findings from Bite Back that young people in the UK are exposed to 15 billion junk food adverts a year online, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce statutory online advertising restrictions on junk food, as proposed in its original consultation, at the same time as those for television.

Caroline Dinenage: The Covid-19 health crisis has underlined the need to reduce levels of obesity in the general population, and that it is critically important that we encourage healthy eating habits, particularly for our young people. The Prime Minister is clear that this is a priority. The Biteback 2030 campaign has helped to inform our work to understand the impacts of junk food advertising on young people. Government officials recently attended a session hosted by the Bite Back campaign, and were able to hear first hand from the Biteback Youth Ambassadors on the problem of junk food advertising and its effects in particular on young people. In 2019 and 2020, the government consulted on bold proposals to restrict HFSS advertising on TV and online, and we will soon publish our response to both consultations. As the government set out in its Tackling Obesity strategy (published in July 2020), we intend to simultaneously legislate for an online restriction and a TV watershed by the end of 2022.

Department for International Trade

Fairtrade Initiative: Climate Change

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help small Fairtrade producers tackle climate change without making their produce unaffordable ahead of COP26.

Greg Hands: We are committed to addressing the challenges of climate change, whilst ensuring that developing countries benefit from of a global transition to low emission, sustainable land use and food systems. Ahead of COP26, the UK will be convening a global dialogue on trade in forest and agricultural commodities, to support producer countries in achieving their economic goals, while transitioning to more sustainable land use. Through the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility, the UK is working in partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation and Mondelēz International in Ghana to ensure cocoa farmers and their families are resilient to the pandemic, and to accelerate income diversification through climate-smart farming.

House of Commons Commission

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Dehenna Davison: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the restoration of the Speaker’s House as a pilot scheme for the Restoration and Renewal programme to allow parliamentarians to properly understand and anticipate the costs of the project and assess the likelihood of hidden costs.

Sir Charles Walker: The Commission has made no assessment of the potential merits of using a restoration of the Speaker’s House as a pilot scheme for the Restoration & Renewal programme.A number of capital projects and programmes for necessary works to enable the continuing operation of the Palace of Westminster are currently ongoing, including the Cast Irons Roofs programme and the Mechanical, Electrical, Public Health and Fabric Safety programme. The Elizabeth Tower project, which began before the enactment of the legislation, is nearing its conclusion. The Commission plans for capital investment in the Palace to continue in the years running up to the start of the restoration and renewal works.In line with best practice, the House Service will work with the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body to ensure that any lessons learned from current and future works to the Palace are used to inform planning and preparation for the Restoration and Renewal programme.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Dehenna Davison: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, what methods the House of Commons Commission has in place to scrutinise the costs of the Restoration and Renewal Programme and ensure the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority delivers value for money.

Sir Charles Walker: The Commissions of both Houses are responsible under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration & Renewal) Act 2019 for setting the Phase 1 Expenditure Limit for the parliamentary building works, covering the period up to the approval of the Restoration & Renewal (R&R) Outline Business Case. The House of Commons Commission has to date, also received advice from the Commons Finance Committee in setting the Phase 1 Limit.Since the creation of the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, the Commission has also received quarterly progress reports on the R&R Programme. At its meeting on 22 February, the Commission noted the assurance and scrutiny arrangements that the Sponsor Body has established for the Programme and the opportunities to strengthen those arrangements to provide further assurance to both Houses, including on reporting progress to secure further savings against the Phase 1 Expenditure Limit. Work will take place, following publication of the Sponsor Body’s Strategic Review report, to confirm Commission and House engagement, decision points and ongoing scrutiny up to Outline Business Case approval.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Dehenna Davison: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has considered ways in which hybrid or virtual proceedings in Parliament can (a) reduce the cost of the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster and (b) minimise the need for decant during the restoration and renewal programme.

Sir Charles Walker: The Commission has not made a formal assessment of the potential ways in which hybrid or virtual proceedings in Parliament could reduce the cost of the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster or the need for decant whilst the works are underway. Whilst the Commission is keen to ensure that the plans for restoration and renewal, and for decant, represent good value-for-money, it would ultimately be for the House to determine whether to adopt different ways of working during the works to the Palace.The Procedure Committee is currently considering changes to the procedure and practice of the House since the start of the pandemic, and lessons for any continuing or future use of hybrid and/or virtual proceedings may emerge from that work.

COP26

UN Climate Conference 2021

Catherine West: To ask the President of COP26, what discussions he has had with the new US Administration as part of preparations for the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

Alok Sharma: I welcomed the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, to London on Monday 8 March 2021, his first international visit since his appointment. We discussed the new US Administration’s climate ambition and our joint efforts to ensure that COP26 is a success. Our discussion built on previous conversations I have had with Secretary Kerry and with Gina McCarthy, US National Climate Advisor.I refer the hon. Member to the joint statement on climate change from myself and Special Envoy Kerry published on GOV.UK on Tuesday 9 March 2021. The UK and US will be working closely together to ensure that President Biden’s Leaders’ Summit on Climate on 22 April and the UK-hosted G7 build momentum on the way to COP26 in Glasgow.

Women and Equalities

Gender Recognition and LGBT People

Martyn Day: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will publish guidance on inclusive language in relation to sexual minorities and gender identities in (a) Government reports, (b) official literature and (b) in-service delivery.

Kemi Badenoch: Terms and language regarding sexual orientation and gender identity are evolving rapidly and many terms may mean different things to different people.Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, public authorities must, in all their functions, have ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people with different protected characteristics, including when designing policies and delivering services. This is key to the Government’s commitment to delivering equality of opportunity for all and my officials in the Equality Hub provide advice to departments to assist with this.

Gender: Equality

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent progress the Government has made in implementing commitments made under the 2019 Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality.

Kemi Badenoch: This Government is fully committed to fulfilling our obligations under international agreements, and remains steadfast in its commitment to advance gender equality and women and girls’ rights.Our landmark Domestic Abuse Bill is on track to achieve Royal Assent by the end of April 2021 and represents our determination to tackle this abhorrent crime. We remain determined to better protect and support the victims of abuse and their children and bring perpetrators to justice.Importantly, provision within this Bill brings us even closer to compliance with the Istanbul Convention and this Government’s commitment to ratifying it, as set out in the most recent annual report on progress towards ratification published by the Home Office in October 2020.

LGBT People: Conferences

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to (a) announce a date, (b) confirm a programme and (c) issue invitations for the Government's international Safe To Be Me conference.

Kemi Badenoch: This Government is committed to delivering an international LGBT conference that will bring together governments from around the world, international civil society, businesses and Parliamentarians to address the safety of LGBT people at home and abroad.Safe To Be Me: A Global Equality Conference was planned to take place in London between 27 and 29 May 2020.Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Conference had to be postponed. We are considering a variety of alternative options on how we can address this commitment in a way that is fit-for-purpose and safe for our delegates. We will be announcing the rescheduled dates shortly, followed by the programme and invitations in due course.